Dave  Porter 
onCave  Island 


Edward  Stratemeyer 


/• 


// 


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«  Empty  !  "  murmured  Dave  sadly.    "  Empty  !  "-Page  217. 


Dave  l>ortcr  Series 


DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 


A  SCHOOLBOY'S  MYSTEEIOUS  MISSION 


BY 

EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  South  Seas,' 

♦•The  Gun  Club  Boy*  of  Lakeport,"  "Old  Glory  Seriee," 

"Pan-American  Series,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  H.  RICHARD  BOEHM 


BOSTON 
LOTHROP,  LEE  &   SHEPARD  CO. 


Published,  March,  iqzs 


Copyright,  1913,  by  Lothrop,  Lkb  &  Shepard  Co. 


All  Rights  Reserved 


Davb   Porter  on   Cavb   Island 


florwoob  prcM 

Berwick  and  Smith  Ca 

Norwood,  Mawk 

U.  S.  A. 


SRLF 
jURL 

5140897 


PREFACE 

"  Dave  Porter  on  Cave  Island  "  is  a  com- 
plete story  in  itself  but  forms  the  eighth  volume 
in  a  line  issued  under  the  general  title  of  "  Dave 
Porter  Series." 

The  opening  tale  of  this  series,  called  "  Dave 
Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  related  the  adventures  of 
a  wide-awake  lad  at  a  typical  boarding  school 
of  to-day.  This  was  followed  by  "  Dave  Porter 
in  the  South  Seas,"  whither  our  hero  had  gone  to 
find  his  father,  and  then  by  "  Dave  Porter's  Re- 
turn to  School." 

From  Oak  Hall,  Dave  journeyed  to  Norway, 
as  related  in  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  Far  North." 
On  his  return  to  this  country  he  once  more  at- 
tended school,  as  told  of  in  "  Dave  Porter  and 
His  Classmates."  Dave  made  a  host  of  friends 
and  likewise  a  few  enemies,  and  some  of  the  latter 
plotted  to  do  him  much  harm. 

When  vacation  came  once  more,  Dave  received 
an  invitation  to  visit  a  home  in  the  far  west,  and 
what  he  did  on  that  trip  has  been  set  forth  in 
"  Dave  Porter  at  Star  Ranch."  Then,  when  va- 
cation days  were  at  an  end,  he  came  back  to  Oak 


iv  PREFACE 

Hall,  as  related  in  the  seventh  volume  of  this 
series,  entitled,  "  Dave  Porter  and  His  Rivals." 

In  the  present  book  we  find  Dave  again  at 
school.  But  the  Christmas  holidays  are  at  hand 
and  the  lad  returns  home.  Here  a  most  myste- 
rious and  unlooked-for  happening  occurs,  and 
Dave's  great  benefactor,  Mr.  Wadsworth,  is  on 
the  verge  of  ruin  because  of  it.  Dave  gets  a  clew 
to  the  mystery,  and,  with  his  chums,  resolves  to 
investigate.  He  takes  a  long  journey  and  has  a 
number  of  stirring  adventures,  the  particulars  of 
which  are  given  in  the  pages  that  follow. 

When  I  started  this  line  of  books  I  trusted  that 
Dave  might  please  the  boys,  but  I  did  not  imagine 
that  so  many  thousands  of  boys  and  girls  all  over 
the  land  would  clamor  as  they  have  for  more 
concerning  the  doings  of  my  hero.  I  thank  all 
for  their  appreciation  of  my  efforts  to  please  them, 
and  I  sincerely  trust  that  the  reading  of  this  new 
volume  will  be  a  benefit  to  them. 

Edward  Stratemeyer. 

February  i,  19 12. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I.  The  Schoolboy  Chums 

II.  A  Glimpse  at  the  Past 

III.  What  Dave  Had  to  Tell 

IV.  The  Schoolboy  Hunters 
V.  A  Tramp  Through  the  Snow 

VI.  GooD-BY  to  Oak  Hall 

VII,  Nat  Poole's  Revelation     . 

VIII.  A  Merry  Christmas 

IX.  Nat  Poole  Gets  Caught 

X.  What  Happened  at  the  Jewelry  Works 

XI.  Looking  for  the  Robbers 
XII.  The  Telltale  Cigarette  Box 

XIII.  Dark  Days    . 

XIV.  Off  for  the  South     . 
XV.  Something  About  White  Mice 

XVI.  Picking  up  the  Trail 

XVII.  Meeting  Old  Friends 

XVIII.  Off  for  Barbados 

XIX.  The  Missing  Ship 

XX.  Landing  on  Cave  Island 

XXI.  Into  a  Cave  and  Out 

XXII.  The  Hurricane 

XXIII.  A  Strange  Discovery 

V 


FAG& 

I 

IC 

18 

38 

38 

48 

58 

63 

78 

88 

98 

108 

118 

IS8 

138 

147 

157 

167 

177 
187 
197 
ao7 
ai7 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTBR  PACK 

XXIV.  Jasniff  and  Mkrwkll      .....  aay 

XXV.  Link  Merwbll's  Story 837 

XXVI.  The  Column  of  Smokk 247 

XXVII.  Behind  the  Curtain  of  Vines        .       .       .  857 

XXVIII.  In  Which  the  Enemy  Sails  Away        .       .  267 

XXIX.  A  Chase  on  the  Ocean 277 

XXX.  Homeward  Bound— Conclusion       .        .       .  287 


DAVE  PORTER  ON 
CAVE  ISLAND 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  SCHOOLBOY  CHUMS 

"  Come  on,  fellows,  if  you  arc  going !  It's  a 
good  six-mile  skate  to  Squirrel  Island,  and  we've 
got  to  hustle  if  we  want  to  get  there  in  time 
for  lunch." 

"  Wait  till  I  fix  my  right  skate,  Dave,"  returned 
Phil  Lawrence.  "  I  don't  want  to  lose  it  on  the 
way." 

"  Say,  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  came 
from  another  of  the  group  of  schoolboys  who 
were  adjusting  their  skates.  "  Once  a  man  asked 
for  a  pair  of  skates  for " 

"  Stow  it.  Shadow  1  "  interrupted  Dave  Porter. 
"  We  haven't  any  time  now  to  listen  to  stories. 
You  can  tell  them  while  we  are  resting  up  at  the 
island." 

"  Shadow  can  tell  stories  while  we  put  away 
the  lunch,"  observed  Roger  Morr,  with  a  grin. 


2         DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Not  much  1  "  cried  the  lad  mentioned.  "  I 
guess  that  skate  will  make  me  as  hungry  as  any- 
body— and  the  stories  will  keep." 

"I  thought  Ben  Basswood  was  going,  too?" 
came  from  another  of  the  schoolboys. 

"  Here  he  comes,  Lazy,"  answered  Dave,  and 
as  he  spoke  he  pointed  to  a  path  across  the  snow- 
covered  campus,  along  which  another  boy  was  hur- 
rying, skates  in  hand. 

"  Co-couldn't  get  here  an-any  so-soonerl" 
panted  Ben,  as  he  dropped  on  a  bench  to  adjust 
his  skates.  "  Old  Haskers  made  me  do  some 
extra  work  in  Latin  I  Wow,  but  don't  I  love  that 
manl" 

*'  We  all  do,"  answered  Phil.  "  We  are  going 
to  get  up  a  testimonial  to  him.  A  silver- 
mounted " 

"  Slice  of  punk,  with  an  ancient  lemon  on  top," 
finished  Dave.  "  It's  just  what  he's  been  waiting 
for."    And  at  this  sally  there  was  a  general  laugh. 

"  Well,  I'm  ready,"  went  on  Phil,  as  he  arose 
from  the  bench.  "  Say,  but  isn't  it  just  a  glorious 
day  for  the  outing?  "  he  added,  casting  his  eyes 
around  and  drawing  in  a  deep  breath  of  the  pure, 
cold  air. 

"  It  couldn't  be  better,  Phil,"  answered  Dave. 
"  And  we  ought  to  have  a  fine  time  at  the  island, 
bringing  down  rabbits  and  squirrels.  Old  Jerry 
Lusk  told  me  that  hunting  was  never  better." 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  CHUMS  3 

"  What's  the  matter  with  having  some  of  the 
rabbits  and  squirrels  for  lunch?  "  asked  Sam  Day. 

"  Perhaps  we  can  cook  them,  Sam,"  returned 
Dave.  "  But  we  had  better  depend  on  the  lunch 
hamper  for  something  to  eat.  By  the  way,  we'll 
have  to  take  turns  carrying  the  hamper.  It  is 
rather  heavy." 

"  Chip  Macklin  and  I  are  going  to  carry  it 
first,"  said  a  tall,  strong  youth  named  Gus  Plum. 
"  It's  not  so  very  heavy,  although  it  is  filled  with 
good  things." 

"  Don't  lose  it,  on  your  life  I  "  cried  Phil. 

"  Lose  it!  "  echoed  Roger  Morr.  "  Banish  the 
thought  1  We'll  form  a  guard  around  Gus  and 
Chip,  so  they  can't  get  away  with  it  on  the  sly." 

"  Not  so  much  as  a  doughnut  must  be  eaten 
until  we  reach  the  island  and  start  a  campfire," 
said  Dave.  "  Those  are  orders  from  head- 
quarters," he  added,  with  a  grand  flourish. 

"Orders  accepted,  admiral  I"  cried  Gus,  and 
made  a  bow  so  profound  that  his  skates  went 
from  under  him,  sending  him  to  his  knees.  This 
caused  a  wild  laugh,  and  the  powerfully-built 
youth  got  up  in  a  hurry,  looking  rather  sheepish. 

"  I'm  ready  now,"  said  Ben,  as  he  left  the 
bench  and  settled  his  skating  cap  on  his  head. 
"  Come  on,  let's  get  away  before  old  Haskers 
calls  us  back  for  something  or  other.  He  just 
loves  to  spoil  a  fellow's  outing." 


4         DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  There  he  is  at  one  of  the  windows  I  "  cried 
Roger,  pointing  back  to  the  school  building.  "  I 
really  believe  he  is  beckoning  to  us !  " 

"  Don't  look,"  cautioned  Dave.  "  He'll  want 
us  to  go  back,  to  put  away  some  books,  or  clean 
our  desks,  or  something.  Doctor  Clay  said  we 
could  take  this  outing,  and  I'm  not  going  to  let 
any  teacher  spoil  it.  Forward  I  "  and  away  from 
the  shore  he  skated,  with  his  chums  around  him. 
They  had  scarcely  covered  a  distance  of  a  dozen 
yards  when  a  window  was  thrown  up  hastily,  and 
Job  Haskers  thrust  his  head  through  the  opening. 

"  Boys !  boys !  "  called  out  the  Oak  Hall  teacher. 
"  Wait  a  minute  1  I  want  to  know  where  you  are 
going,  and  if  all  of  you  have  finished  studying." 

"Don't  look  back,  and  don't  answer  I"  said 
Roger,  in  a  hoarse  whisper. 

"  Give  the  school  yell  1  "  suggested  Phil. 

"  Just  the  thing!  "  returned  Sam  Day.  "  Now 
then,  all  together!  "  And  an  instant  later  through 
the  clear,  wintry  air,  rang  the  well-known  Oak 
Hall  slogan: 

"Baseball! 
Football! 
Oak  Hall 
Has  the  call! 
Biff!  Boom!  Bang!  Whoop!" 

Three  times  the  boys  gave  the  cry,  and  by  that 
time  they  had  skated  far  up  the  river  and  out  of 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  CHUMS  5 

sight  of  the  window  at  which  the  teacher  was 
standing.  Job  Haskers  looked  after  them  glumly, 
and  then  closed  the  window  with  a  bang. 

"  They  must  have  heard  me — I  don't  see  how 
they  could  help  it,"  he  muttered  to  himself. 
"  Such  disrespect !  I'll  make  them  toe  the  mark 
for  it  when  they  get  backl  Bah!  Doctor  Clay 
is  altogether  too  easy  with  the  boys.  If  I  were 
running  this  school  I'd  make  them  mind  1  "  And 
the  teacher  shut  his  teeth  grimly.  He  was  a 
man  who  thought  that  the  boys  ought  to  spend 
all  their  time  in  studying.  The  hours  devoted  to 
outdoor  exercise  he  considered  practically  wasted. 
He  was  too  short-sighted  to  realize  that,  in  order 
to  have  a  perfectly  sound  mind,  one  must  likewise 
have  a  sound  body. 

"  He'll  have  it  in  for  us  when  we  get  back," 
murmured  Chip  Macklin.  "My!  how  he  does 
love  to  stop  a  fellow's  fun!  " 

"  Don't  worry,"  chimed  in  Roger.  "  Sufficient 
unto  the  hour  is  the  lecture  thereof.  Let  us  enjoy 
this  outing  while  it  lasts,  and  let  come  what  will 
when  we  get  back." 

"  Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  another  story," 
broke  in  Shadow  Hamilton.  "  A  fellow  used  to 
eat  too  much,  and  he  had  to  take  his  medicine 
regularly,  to  keep  from  getting  indigestion.  So 
once — wow  1  "    And  Shadow  broke  off  short,  for 


6         DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Phil  had  suddenly  put  out  his  foot,  sending  the 
story-teller  of  Oak  Hall  sprawling. 

"  So  he  had  to  take  his  medicine,"  repeated 
Dave,  gravely. 

"Did  the  medicine  agree  with  him?"  asked 
Roger,  innocently. 

"He  took  it  lying  down,  didn't  he?"  ques- 
tioned Gus. 

"  I'll  '  medicine '  you  1  "  roared  Shadow,  as  he 
scrambled  to  his  feet.  Then  he  made  a  wild  dash 
after  the  youth  who  had  tripped  him  up,  but  Phil 
had  skated  on  ahead  and  he  took  good  care  that 
Shadow  did  not  catch  him.  "  I  won't  tell  you  an- 
other story  for  a  year  1  "  the  story-teller  growled, 
after  the  chase  was  at  an  end. 

"  Phew  I  Shadow  says  he  is  going  to  reform  I  " 
murmured  Ben. 

*'  Let  it  pass.  Shadow !  "  cried  Dave,  not  wish- 
ing the  story-teller  to  take  the  matter  too  seriously. 
"  You  can  tell  all  the  stories  you  please  around 
the  campfire.  But  just  now  let  us  push  on  as  fast 
as  we  can.  I  want  a  chance  to  do  some  rabbit 
and  squirrel  hunting,  and  you  know  we've  got  to 
be  back  on  time,  or  we'll  have  trouble  with  Doctor 
Clay  as  well  as  with  old  Haskers." 

*'  Yes,  and  I  want  to  take  some  pictures  before 
it  gets  too  dark,"  said  Sam,  who  had  his  camera 
along. 

*^  Ik)  you  know  what  Horsehair  told  me?" 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  CHUMS  7 

came  from  Roger.  "  He  said  we  were  fixing  for 
another  snowstorm." 

"  It  doesn't  look  so  now,"  returned  Dave. 
"  But  Horsehair  generally  hits  it  on  the  weather, 
so  maybe  we'll  catch  it  before  we  get  back." 

"  Wonder  if  we'll  meet  any  of  the  Rockville 
cadets?"  remarked  Phil,  as  he  and  Dave  forged 
to  the  front,  they  knowing  the  way  up  the  river 
better  than  did  some  of  the  others. 

"  It  is  possible,  Phil.  All  of  them  have  guns, 
and  I  should  think  they  would  like  to  go  hunt- 
ing." 

"  I  guess  most  of  their  firearms  are  rifles,  not 
fowling-pieces." 

"  Not  more  than  half — I  learned  that  from 
Mallory,  when  we  played  hockey.  He  said  they 
had  some  shotguns  just  for  hunting  and  camping- 
out  purposes." 

"  Well,  those  chaps  have  a  holiday  to-day,  the 
same  as  we  have,  so  some  of  them  may  be  up 
around  Squirrel  Island.  But  I'd  rather  not  meet 
them,"  and  Dave's  face  became  serious. 

"  Humph  1  If  those  military  academy  fellows 
try  to  play  any  tricks  on  us  I  reckon  we  can  give 
'em  as  good  as  they  send,"  growled  Phil. 

"  To  be  sure  we  can,  Phil.  But  I'd  rather  keep 
out  of  trouble  to-day  and  have  some  good,  clean 
sport.  I  haven't  been  hunting  this  season  and  I'm 
just  itching  to  draw  a  bead  on  a  fat  bunny,  or 


8         DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

squirrel,  or  some  partridges.  You  know,  I  used 
to  go  hunting  in  the  woods  around  Crumville, 
when  I  was  home." 

"  Why,  of  course  1  Didn't  Roger  and  I  go 
along  once?  But  we  didn't  get  much  that  trip, 
although  we  did  get  into  a  lively  row  with  Nat 
Poole." 

"  Oh,   yes,    I    remember   now.      I    wish " 

And  then  Dave  Porter  came  to  a  sudden 
silence. 

"What  is  it,  Dave?"  and  Phil  looked  closely 
at  his  chum. 

"  Oh,  not  much,"  was  the  evasive  answer. 

**  But  I  know  something  is  worrying  you,"  in- 
sisted the  shipowner's  son.  "  I've  noticed  it  for 
several  days,  and  Roger  noticed  it,  too." 

"  Roger?  " 

"  Yes.  He  came  to  me  yesterday  and  said  that 
he  was  sure  you  had  something  on  your  mind. 
Now,  maybe  it  is  none  of  our  business,  Dave. 
But  if  I  and  Roger  can  help  you  in  any  way,  you 
know  we'll  be  only  too  glad  to  do  it."  Phil 
spoke  in  a  low  but  earnest  voice. 

"Hi,  what's  doing  in  the  front  rank?"  cried 
a  cheery  voice  at  this  juncture,  and  Roger  Morr 
skated  swiftly  up  beside  Dave  and  Phil. 

"  I'm  glad  you  came,"  said  Phil,  and  he  looked 
at  the  senator's  son  in  a  peculiar  fashion.  "  I 
was  just  speaking  to  Dave  about  how  we  had 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  CHUMS  9 

noticed  something  was  wrong,  and  how  we  were 
willing  to  help  him,  if  he  needed  us." 

"Sure,  we'll  help  you  every  time,  Dave;  you 
know  that,"  returned  Roger,  quickly. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  need  any  help,"  answered 
Dave,  slowly.  "  The  fact  of  the  matter  is,  I  don't 
know  what  can  be  done." 

"  Then  something  is  wrong?  "  cried  both  of  his 
chums. 

"  Yes,  if  you  must  know.  I  was  going  to  keep 
it  to  myself,  for  I  didn't  think  it  would  do  any 
good  to  tell  about  it.  I'll  tell  you,  but  I  don't  want 
it  to  go  any  further,  unless  it  becomes  necessary 
to  speak." 

"  Before  you  tell  us,  let  me  make  a  guess  about 
this,"  said  Phil.  "  Some  of  your  old  enemies  are 
trying  to  make  trouble  for  you,  is  that  right?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  those  enemies  are  Link  Merwell  and 
Nick  Jasniff,"  cried  Roger. 

"  Yes,  again,"  answered  Dave. 

"What  are  they  up  to  now,  Dave?"  The 
eager  question  came  from  Phil. 

"  They  are  up  to  a  number  of  things,"  was  the 
grave  response  of  Dave  Porter.  "  They  are  evi- 
dently going  to  do  their  best  to  disgrace  my 
family  and  myself,  and  ruin  us." 


CHAPTER  II 

A  GLIMPSE  AT  THE  PAST 

"  Disgrace  you  and  ruin  you !  "  cried  Roger, 
in  amazement. 

"  That  is  what  it  looks  like,"  answered  Dave. 
"  I  can  account  for  their  actions  in  no  other  way." 

"  Tell  us  just  what  is  going  on,"  urged  Phil. 
"  You  know  you  can  trust  us  to  keep  it  a  secret." 

"  I  will  tell  you  everything,"  answered  Dave. 
"  But  first  let  us  skate  up  a  little  faster,  so  that 
the  others  won't  catch  a  word  of  what  is  said." 
And  with  that  he  struck  out  more  rapidly  than 
ever,  and  his  two  chums  did  likewise. 

To  those  who  have  read  the  former  volumes 
of  this  series,  Dave  Porter  will  need  no  intro- 
duction. For  the  benefit  of  others  let  me  state 
that  my  hero  had  had  a  varied  career,  starting 
when  he  was  but  a  child  of  a  few  years.  At  that 
time  he  had  been  found  wandering  along  the  rail- 
road tracks  near  the  town  of  Crumville.  As  no- 
body claimed  him,  he  was  placed  in  a  local  poor- 
house  and  later  bound  out  to  a  broken-down  col- 
lege professor,  Caspar  Potts,  who  had  taken  up 
farming  for  his  health. 

lO 


A  GLIMPSE  AT  THE  PAST  n 

Professor  Potts  was  In  the  grasp  of  a  miserly 
money-lender  of  Crumville  named  Aaron  Poole, 
who  had  a  son  Nat,  who  could  not  get  along  at 
all  with  Dave.  Mr.  Poole  was  about  to  foreclose 
a  mortgage  on  the  professor's  place  and  sell  him 
out  when  something  occurred  that  was  the  means 
of  changing  the  whole  course  of  the  professor's 
own  life  and  that  of  the  youth  who  lived  with  him. 

On  the  outskirts  of  Crumville  lived  Mr.  Oliver 
Wadsworth,  a  wealthy  manufacturer,  with  his  wife 
and  daughter  Jessie.  One  day  the  gasoline  tank 
of  an  automobile  took  fire  and  little  Jessie  was  in 
danger  of  being  burned  to  death.  Dave  rushed 
to  her  assistance  and  beat  out  the  flames,  and  thus 
saved  her.  For  this  Mr.  Wadsworth  was  very 
grateful.  He  made  some  inquiries  concerning 
Caspar  Potts  and  Dave,  and  learning  that  Pro- 
fessor Potts  had  been  one  of  his  former  college 
instructors,  he  made  the  old  gentleman  come  and 
live  with  him. 

"  Dave  shall  go  to  boarding  school  and  get  a 
good  education,"  said  Mr.  Wadsworth.  And  how 
Dave  went  has  been  told  in  detail  in  the  first  vol- 
ume of  this  series,  entitled  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak 
Hall."  With  Dave  went  Ben  Basswood,  his  one 
boy  friend  in  Crumville. 

At  Oak  Hall,  a  fine  seat  of  learning,  located  on 
the  Leming  River,  in  one  of  our  eastern  states, 
Dave  made  a  number  of  warm  friends,  including 


12        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Phil  Lawrence,  the  son  of  a  rich  shipowner ;  Roger 
Morr,  wihose  father  was  a  United  States  senator; 
Maurice  Hamilton,  usually  called  Shadow,  who 
was  noted  for  his  sleep-walking  and  the  stories  he 
loved  to  tell;  Sam  Day,  known  throughout  the 
school  as  Lazy,  why  nobody  could  tell,  since  Sam 
at  times  was  unusually  active,  and  a  score  of  others, 
some  of  whom  have  already  been  introduced.  He 
also  made,  in  those  days,  one  enemy,  Gus  Plum. 
But  Gus  had  since  reformed,  and  was  now  as  good 
a  friend  as  any  of  the  rest. 

What  troubled  Dave  most  of  all  in  those  days 
was  the  question  of  his  identity.  How  he  started 
to  find  out  who  he  was  has  been  related  in  my 
second  volume,  called  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  South 
Seas."  There  he  did  not  meet  his  father,  as  he 
had  hoped,  but  he  did  meet  his  uncle,  Dunston 
Porter,  and  learned  much  concerning  his  father, 
David  Breslow  Porter,  and  also  his  sister  Laura, 
then  traveling  in  Europe. 

When  Dave  came  back  to  Oak  Hall,  as  related 
in  "  Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School,"  he  met 
many  of  his  friends  and  succeeded  in  making  him- 
self more  popular  than  ever.  But  some  lads  were 
jealous  of  our  hero's  success,  and  two  of  them, 
Nick  Jasniff  and  Link  Merwell,  did  what  they 
could  to  get  Dave  into  trouble,  being  aided  in  part 
by  Nat  Poole,  the  son  of  the  miserly  money-lender, 
who  had  followed  Dave  to  the  school.    The  plots 


A  GLIMPSE  AT  THE  PAST  13 

against  Dave  were  exposed,  and  in  sheer  fright 
Nick  Jasniff  ran  away  and  went  to  Europe. 

Dave  had  been  expecting  right  along  to  meet 
his  father  and  his  sister,  and  when  they  did  not 
return  to  this  country,  and  did  not  send  word,  he 
grew  anxious,  and  started  out  to  find  them,  as 
related  in  detail  in  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  Far 
North."  It  was  in  Norway  that  Dave  first 
saw  his  parent,  a  meeting  as  strange  as  it  was 
affecting. 

After  his  trip  to  the  Land  of  the  Midnight 
Sun,  our  hero  returned  once  again  to  school,  as 
related  in  "  Dave  Porter  and  His  Classmates." 
Jasniff  had  not  returned,  but  Link  Merwell  was 
still  at  hand,  and  likewise  the  lordly  Nat  Poole, 
and  they  did  what  they  could  to  make  our  hero's 
life  miserable.  In  the  end  Merwell  did  something 
that  was  particularly  despicable  and  this  caused 
Dave  to  take  the  law  into  his  own  hands  and  he 
gave  the  bully  the  thrashing  that  he  well  deserved. 
Merwell  wanted  to  retaliate  in  some  manner,  but 
in  the  midst  of  his  plotting,  word  of  his  wrong- 
doings reached  the  head  of  the  school  and  he  was 
ordered  to  pack  up  and  leave,  w*hich  he  did  in  great 
rage. 

While  Dave  was  off  hunting  for  his  father  and 
his  sister,  Laura  Porter  had  been  visiting  her 
friend.  Belle  Endicott,  at  Mr.  Endicott's  ranch 
in  the  far  west.     Belle  was  anxious  to  meet  her 


14       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

girl  chum's  newly-found  brother,  and  this  led  to  a 
visit  to  the  ranch,  as  told  of  in  "  Dave  Porter  at 
Star  Ranch."  Here  Dave  again  met  Link  Mer- 
well,  and  proved  that  the  latter  had  been  aiding 
some  horse-thieves  in  their  wicked  work.  Mr. 
Merwell  had  to  settle  a  heavy  bill  because  of  his 
son's  actions,  and  then,  for  a  short  space  of  time, 
Link  disappeared. 

With  the  coming  of  fall,  Dave  and  his  chums 
returned  to  Oak  Hall,  as  related  in  the  volume 
preceding  this,  called  "  Dave  Porter  and  His 
Rivals."  As  his  chief  enemies  had  left  the  school, 
he  did  not  anticipate  much  trouble,  yet  trouble  came 
in  a  manner  somewhat  out  of  the  ordinary.  Nat 
Poole  joined  a  group  of  students  who  had  come 
to  Oak  Hall  from  another  school,  and  the  crowd 
did  what  it  could  to  get  Dave  and  his  friends  off 
the  football  eleven.  Then,  when  Dave  had  once 
more  fought  his  way  to  the  front,  came  word  that 
Nick  Jasniff  and  Link  Merwell  were  again  "  after 
his  scalp,"  as  Roger  expressed  it.  Jasniff  and 
Merwell  were  then  attending  a  rival  institution  of 
learning  known  as  Rockville  Military  Academy. 

"  Be  careful,  or  they'll  play  you  some  dirty 
trick,  Dave,"  said  Phil,  wamingly. 

"  I've  got  my  eyes  open,"  replied  Dave. 

In  a  rather  unusual  manner  Dave  had  become 
acquainted  with  a  man  named  Hooker  Mont- 
gomery, a  fake  doctor,  who  traveled  around  the 


A  GLIMPSE  AT  THE  PAST  15 

country  selling  medicines  that  he  made  himself. 
This  man  asked  Dave  to  call  on  him,  and  when  the 
youth  did  so  he  was  suddenly  seized  from  behind, 
made  a  prisoner,  and  carried  off  in  a  sleigh  and 
then  in  an  automobile.  At  first  he  did  not  know 
what  to  make  of  it,  but  at  last  learned  that  he  was 
being  held,  for  some  purpose,  by  Merwell,  Jasniff, 
Montgomery,  and  the  fourth  man,  a  mere  tool. 
He  watched  his  chance,  and,  at  length,  escaped, 
much  to  his  enemies'  chagrin. 

"  Have  them  all  arrested,"  was  the  advice  of 
Dave's  chums,  but  this  was  not  easy,  since  all  of 
the  evil-doers  had  disappeared.  Then,  one  day, 
while  on  a  sleigh-ride  to  a  distant  town,  the  boys 
fell  in  with  Hooker  Montgomery.  The  fake  doc- 
tor was  practically  "  down  and  out,"  as  he  himself 
expressed  it,  and  said  he  would  do  anything  for 
Dave,  provided  he  was  not  prosecuted. 

"  It  was  all  a  plot  gotten  up  by  those  two,  Jas- 
nifF  and  Merwell,"  said  Hooker  Montgomery. 
"  They  promised  me  some  money  if  I  would  help 
them,  but  I  never  got  a  cent."  Then  he  said  that 
Jasniff  and  Merwell  were  in  town. 

"  We'll  locate  them,"  said  Dave,  but  this  was 
not  accomplished  until  later,  when  the  pair  of 
rascals  were  encountered  at  a  railroad  office.  Our 
hero  and  his  chums  tried  to  stop  Jasniff  and  Mer- 
well, but  the  rascals  rushed  through  a  crowd  and 
got  aboard  a  train;  and  that  was  the  last  seen  of 


i6        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

them  for  the  time  being.  The  boys  might  have 
gone  after  the  pair,  but  they  had  an  important 
hockey  game  to  play,  and  when  they  administered 
a  stinging  defeat  to  Oak  Hall's  ancient  rival, 
Rockville  Academy,  Dave,  for  the  time  being,  for- 
got that  he  had  an  enemy  in  the  world. 

"  Two  weeks  more  of  the  grind,  boys !  "  cried 
Dave,  on  the  following  Monday.  "  And  then 
home  for  the  holidays." 

"  Right  you  are,"  answered  Phil.  *'  But,  oh, 
those  two  weeks !  " 

On  Wednesday  one  of  Dave's  chums  celebrated 
his  birthday,  and  among  the  presents  received  was 
a  very  fine  double-barreled  shotgun.  This  lad 
immediately  wanted  to  go  hunting;  and  the  result 
was  that  the  boys  applied  to  Doctor  Clay  for  per- 
mission to  go  to  Squirrel  Island,  up  the  river,  on 
a  hunting  expedition,  the  following  Saturday. 
There  was  just  sufficient  snow  on  the  ground  to 
make  rabbit  and  squirrel  tracking  good,  and  the 
boys  were  told  that  they  might  remain  away  all 
day.  Six  of  them  had  guns  and  two  had  revolvers, 
and  they  carried  in  addition  a  good-sized  hamper 
of  provisions  for  lunch. 

"  Now,  boys,  be  careful  and  don't  shoot  your- 
selves or  anybody  else,"  said  Doctor  Clay,  with  a 
smile,  when  Dave,  Roger,  and  Phil  left  the  school 
building.  "  Don't  fire  at  anything  until  you  are 
certain  of  what  it  is.    Every  hunting  season  some- 


A  GLIMPSE  AT  THE  PAST  17 

body  is  killed  through  the  sheer  carelessness  of 
somebody  else." 

"  We'll  be  careful,"  answered  Dave. 

"Do  you  think  you'll  get  any  game?"  And 
the  doctor  continued  to  smile. 

"  I  hope  to  bring  you  at  least  a  brace  of  rabbits 
or  squirrels,  Doctor." 

"  Well,  I  wish  you  luck.  And  don't  stay  too 
late,"  returned  the  head  of  the  school,  and  then 
with  a  pleasant  nod  he  dismissed  them. 

Dave,  Roger,  and  Phil  were  the  first  at  the  place 
of  meeting,  but  they  were  quickly  joined  by  all 
the  others  except  Ben. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  Phil,"  said  the  senator's  son, 
when  he  had  a  chance  to  talk  to  Phil  alone. 
"  Something  is  wrong  with  Dave.  He  isn't  him- 
self at  all.    Can't  you  see  it?  " 

"  Of  course  I  can,  Roger,"  was  the  reply  of  the 
shipowner's  son.  "  If  I  get  a  chance  to  speak  to 
him  about  it,  I  am  going  to  do  so.  But  I've  got 
to  be  careful — I  don't  want  to  hurt  his  feelings." 

"  When  you  do  speak,  give  me  the  sign,  so  I 
can  hear  what  he  has  to  say,  too,"  went  on  Roger, 
and  to  this  Phil  agreed.  Then  came  the  start  up 
the  river,  and  a  little  later  Phil  broached  the  sub- 
ject, and  Dave  made  the  dismaying  announcement 
that  Jasniff  and  Merwell  were  doing  their  best 
to  bring  disgrace  to  himself  and  his  family  and 
ruin  them. 


CHAPTER  III 

WHAT  DAVE    HAD  TO  TELL 

**  It's  rather  a  long  story,  and  I  scarcely  know 
how  to  begin,"  said  Dave,  after  he,  Phil,  and 
Roger  had  skated  ahead  and  to  the  right,  where 
the  others  were  not  likely  to  overhear  the  con- 
versation. "  But,  to  begin  with,  Jasniff  and  Mer- 
well  have  been  to  Crumville  since  they  left  here 
in  such  a  hurry,  and — I  have  some  reason  to  be- 
lieve— they  have  been  here  in  town,  too." 

"  Here !  "  cHed  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  Yes." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  us  of  this  before?  "  asked 
Roger. 

"  I  didn't  know  of  it  until  lately,  and  I  didn't 
wiant  to  worry  you  over  my  private  affairs." 

"  But  what  have  they  done?  "  demanded  Phil, 
impatiently. 

"  As  I  said  before,  Phil,  I  hardly  know  how 
to  begin  to  tell  you.  But  to  plunge  right  in.  In 
the  first  place,  when  they  were  in  Crumville  they 
followed  my  sister  Laura  and  Jessie  Wadsworth 
to  a  concert  by  a  college  glee  club.  They  forced 
their  attentions  on  the  two  girls,  and  gave  out- 

i8 


WHAT  DAVE  HAD  TO  TELL  19 

siders  an  impression  that  they  had  come  as  escorts. 
The  girls  were  so  upset  over  it  that  Laura  wrote 
me  that  Jessie  was  actually  sick.  Two  days  after 
that,  when  the  girls  were  out  walking  one  evening, 
Jasniff  and  Merwell  followed  them,  and  right  on 
the  main  street,  near  the  post-office,  they  came  up 
and  commenced  to  talk  and  Merwell  said  to  Laura, 
loud  enough  for  half  a  dozen  folks  to  hear: 
'  You've  got  to  keep  your  word — you  can't  go  back 
on  us  like  that.'  And  Jasniff  added:  'Yes,  you 
girls  were  glad  enough  to  let  us  give  you  a  good 
time  before,  down  at  the  Rainbow.'  The  Rain- 
bow is  a  ten-cent  moving-picture  place,  and  a  low 
one  at  that.  Of  course  there  wasn't  a  word  of 
truth  in  it,  but  Merwell  and  Jasniff  gave  folks  the 
impression  that  Laura  and  Jessie  had  been  going 
out  with  them,  and  you  know  how  such  reports 
spread  in  a  small  town  like  Crumville." 

"  The  hounds !  "  exclaimed  the  senator's  son, 
wrathfully.  "  They  should  have  been  run  out  of 
town  I  " 

"  Why  didn't  the  girls  tell  your  folks?  "  asked 
Phil. 

"  They  did,  as  soon  as  they  got  home,  and  my 
father.  Uncle  Dunston,  and  Mr.  Wadsworth  went 
out  to  look  for  Merwell  and  Jasniff,  but  they  were 
not  to  be  found.  But  that  was  only  the  beginning. 
The  next  day  an  old  lady  came  to  the  house  with 
a  letter  she  had  picked  up  in  the  post-office.     It 


20       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

was  addressed  to  Link  Merwell  and  had  my  sister's 
name  signed  to  it,  and  stated  that  she  was  sorry 
they  had  quarreled  and  wouldn't  he  please  forgive 
her  and  take  her  to  the  dance  as  promised?  Of 
course  the  whole  thing  was  a  forgery,  and  it  was 
dropped  in  the  post-office  just  to  make  talk.  I 
suppose  Merwell  thought  some  chatterbox  would 
pick  it  up  and  spread  the  news." 

"But  what  is  his  game?"  queried  the  ship- 
owner's son.  "  I  don't  see  how  he  is  going  to 
gain  anything  by  such  actions." 

"  He  wants  to  ruin  our  reputations,  just  as  he 
and  Jasniff  have  ruined  their  own.  But  I  haven't 
told  you  all  yet.  A  day  later  my  father  heard  of 
another  letter  being  found,  in  which  Laura  and 
Jessie  promised  to  go  off  on  a  joy-ride  in  an  auto 
with  Merwell  and  Jasniff.  Then  Merwell  and  Jas- 
niff appeared  in  Crumville  with  a  stunning  touring 
car,  and  they  had  two  girls  with  them,  loudly 
dressed  and  heavily  veiled,  and  the  whole  four 
tooted  horns,  and  sang,  and  behaved  in  anything 
but  a  becoming  fashion.  A  good  many  folks 
thought  the  veiled  girls  must  be  Laura  and  Jessie, 
and  you  can  imagine  how  my  sister  and  her  friend 
felt  when  they  heard  of  it." 

"  Those  chaps  ought  to  be  arrested,"  murmured 
Phil. 

"  And  tarred  and  feathered,"  added  the  senator's 
son. 


WHAT  DAVE  HAD  TO  TELL  2r 

"  After  that,  my  father  and  Mr.  Wadsworth 
got  after  them  so  sharply  that  they  left  Crumvllle. 
That  was  only  a  few  days  ago.  The  very  next 
day  came  a  lot  of  goods  to  the  house,  delivered  by 
a  large  city  department  store.  The  folks  hadn't 
ordered  the  goods  and  didn't  know  what  to  make 
of  it.  They  investigated,  and  learned  that  a  young 
woman  calling  herself  Laura  Porter  had  selected 
the  things  and  had  them  sent  out.  Then  came 
other  goods  for  Mr.  Wadsworth,  said  to  have 
been  bought  by  Jessie.  It  was  an  awful  mix-up, 
and  it  hasn't  been  straightened  out  yet." 

"It's  the  limit!"  muttered  the  senator's  son. 
"  I'll  wager  your  dad  and  Mr.  Wadsworth  would 
like  to  wring  those  chaps'  necks  I  " 

"  Wait,  you  haven't  heard  it  all  yet,"  went  on 
Dave,  with  a  sickly  smile.  "  Yesterday  I  received 
a  notice  from  the  express  company  here  to  call 
for  a  package  on  which  eighteen  dollars  was  due. 
I  was  expecting  some  things  that  I  am  going  to 
take  home  for  Christmas  presents,  although  they 
were  to  come  to  fifteen  dollars  and  a  half.  I  paid 
for  the  package,  thinking  I  had  made  a  mistake 
in  footing  up  my  purchases,  and  when  I  got  it 
home  I  found  out  it  wasn't  what  I  had  bought 
at  all,  but  a  lot  of  junk  nobody  can  use.  Then 
my  own  package  came  in  by  the  next  express,  and, 
of  course,  I  had  to  pay  again.  I  sent  a  telegram 
to  the  city  about  the  first  package  and  they  an- 


22        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

swered  that  David  Porter  had  purchased  the  same 
and  had  it  sent  C.  O.  D.  Then  two  other  pack- 
ages came,  one  calling  for  six  dollars  and  the 
other  for  twenty-four  dollars.  But  I  refused  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  them,  and  said  I  could 
easily  prove  that  I  hadn't  been  to  the  city  to 
order  them.  But  it  is  going  to  cause  a  lot  of 
trouble." 

"  I  believe  you,"  returned  the  senator's  son. 

"Anything  more,  Dave?"  queried  Phil. 

"  Yes.  Last  night,  if  you  will  remember,  an 
old  man  came  to  see  me.  He  said  that  two  young 
men  had  sent  him  to  me,  saying  that  we  wanted 
a  man  in  Crumville  to  take  care  of  a  certain 
young  lady  who  w^s  slightly  out  of  her  mind.  He 
said  he  had  once  worked  in  an  asylum  and  knew 
he  could  give  satisfaction,  even  if  he  was  getting 
old.  It  was  another  of  Merwell  and  Jasniff's 
mean  tricks,  and  I  had  quite  a  time  explaining  to 
the  old  man  and  getting  him  to  go  away.  He 
said  he  had  spent  two  dollars  and  a  quarter  in 
car- fare  to  come  to  see  me,  and  I  felt  so  sorry 
for  him  that  I  gave  him  five  dollars  to  help  him 
along." 

"Dave,  where  is  this  going  to  end?"  cried 
Roger. 

"  That  is  just  what  I  want  to  know,"  returned 
Dave.  "  Perhaps  by  the  time  we  get  back  to 
Oak  Hall  there  will  be  more  packages  waiting 


WHAT  DAVE  HAD  TO  TELL  23 

for  me — or  potatoes,  or  a  horse,  or  something 
like  that." 

"  You  could  have  Merwell  and  Jasniff  arrested 
for  this,"  was  Phil's  comment. 

"  Yes,  if  I  could  catch  them.  But  they  know 
enough  to  keep  shady.  But  that  isn't  all.  Yes- 
terday I  got  a  letter,  or  rather  a  note.  It  was 
postmarked  from  Rocky  Run,  about  fifteen  miles 
from  here.  Inside  of  the  envelope  was  a  card 
on  which  was  written :  '  We'll  never  let  up  until 
we  have  ruined  you.'  " 

"Was  it  signed?"  asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  Oh,  no.  But  I  am  sure  it  came  from  Mer- 
well and  Jasniff." 

"  They  are  certainly  sore,"  was  Phil's  com- 
ment. 

"  Traveling  around  must  cost  them  money. 
Where  do  they  get  the  cash  ?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  From  Mr.  Merwell  most  likely,"  answered 
Dave.  "  He  got  a  good  price  when  he  sold  his 
ranch,  and  he  seldom  denies  Link  anything." 

"  Have  you  any  idea  who  the  girls  were  who 
were  in  the  auto  in  Crumville  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly,  but  I  think  they  must  have  been 
some  of  the  girls  Nat  Poole  goes  with.  When 
Jasniff  and  Merwell  were  there  with  Nat,  I  saw 
the  whole  crowd  out  with  some  girls  from  the 
cotton  mills.  They  were  nice  enough  girls  in  their 
way,  but  they  were  very  boisterous  and  not  the 


24        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

kind  Laura  and  Jessie  care  to  pick  for  company. 
I  suppose  those  girls  played  their  part  thinking 
it  was  nothing  but  a  good  joke.  One  had  a  hat 
on  with  feathers  such  as  Jessie  wears  and  the 
other  wore  a  coat  and  veil  like  Laura's.  I  guess 
a  good  many  who  saw  them  riding  in  the  auto 
and  cutting  up  like  wild  Indians  thought  they 
were  Laura  and  Jessie."  And  Dave  heaved  a 
deep  sigh. 

"And  what  are  you  going  to  do,  Dave?" 
asked  Phil,  after  a  short  silence,  during  which  the 
three  chums  continued  to  skate  in  advance  of 
their  friends. 

"  What  can  I  do?  We  are  trying  to  locate  the 
rascals,  and  when  we  do  we'll  make  them  stop. 
But  in  the  meantime " 

"  They  may  cause  you  no  end  of  trouble,"  fin- 
ished the  senator's  son. 

"  I  don't  care  so  much  for  myself  as  I  do  for 
Laura  and  Jessie,  and  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wads- 
worth.  I  hate  to  see  them  suffer  because  of  my 
trouble  with  those  rascals.  I  don't  see  why  Mer- 
well  and  Jasnifi^  can't  fight  it  out  with  me  alone." 

"  You  forget  one  thing,  Dave,"  returned  Phil. 
"  Merwell  was  once  sweet  on  your  sister.  I  sup- 
pose it  made  him  furious  to  be  turned  down  by 
her." 

"Well,  then,  why  does  he  annoy  Jessie?  She 
never  harmed  him,  or  Jasniff  either." 


WHAT  DAVE  HAD  TO  TELL  25 

"  Huh !  As  if  you  didn't  know  why  1 "  replied 
Roger,  with  something  like  a  chuckle.  "  Don't 
they  both  know  that  Jessie  is  the  very  apple  of 
your  eye,  and  that  anything  that  brings  trouble 
to  her  will  cut  you  to  the  heart?  Of  course  they 
know  that,  Dave,  and  you  can  rest  assured  that 
they  will  try  to  hurt  you  quite  as  much  through 
Jessie  as  they'll  try  to  hurt  you  direct." 

"  Perhaps,  Roger.    If  I  was  sure " 

"Low  bridge!"  shouted  Phil  at  that  instant, 
as  a  bend  of  the  river  was  gained,  and  then  the 
whole  crowd  of  students  swept  under  the  low- 
hanging  branches  of  a  number  of  trees.  Those 
ahead  had  to  go  slowly  and  pick  the  way  with 
care. 

"How  much  farther  have  we  to  go?"  called 
out  Sam  Day. 

"  Only  a  couple  of  miles,"  replied  Dave.  He 
turned  to  Phil  and  Roger.  "  That's  about  all," 
he  whispered.     "  Keep  it  to  yourselves.'* 

"  We  will,"  they  replied. 

"  Somebody  else  going  to  carry  this  hamper?  " 
cried  Chip  Macklin.  "  It's  getting  rather 
heavy." 

"  I'll  carry  one  end,"  said  Ben  Basswood. 

"  And  I'll  take  the  other,"  added  Phil.  "  Dave, 
you  and  Roger  go  ahead  and  bring  down  a  couple 
of  deer,  and  a  bear,  and  one  or  two  tigers,  or 
something  like  that,"  he  continued,  with  a  grin, 


26       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

for  he  wanted  to  get  Dave's  mind  off  of  his 
troubles. 

"  Nothing  but  an  elephant  for  mine,"  answered 
Dave,  with  a  forced  laugh.  "  I  don't  want  to 
waste  my  powder." 

"  As  the  society  belle  said  when  she  left  the 
mark  of  her  cheek  on  the  gent's  shoulder,"  re- 
marked Buster  Beggs,  the  fat  lad  of  the  group. 

"  Say,  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  another  story," 
came  from  Shadow.  "  Once  on  a  time  a  Dutch- 
man heard  that  a  certain  lady  was  a  society  belle. 
He  wanted  to  tell  his  friend  about  it,  but  he 
couldn't  think  of  the  right  word.  '  Ach,  she  is 
von  great  lady,'  he  said.  '  She  is  a  society  ding- 
dong!'" 

"Wow!" 

"  There's  a  ringer  for  Shadow  1  " 

"  Shadow,  you  w^ant  to  frame  that  joke  and 
hang  it  in  the  woodshed." 

"  Put  it  down  in  moth-balls  until  next  summer, 
Shadow." 

"  Oh,  say,  speaking  about  moth-balls  puts  me 
in  mind  of  another  story.     A  man " 

"  Was  it  a  young  man.  Shadow?  "  asked  Dave, 
calmly. 

"  Maybe  it  was  a  very  old  man,"  suggested 
Phil. 

"  Was  he  clean-shaven  or  did  he  have  a 
beard?"  queried  Roger. 


WHAT  DAVE  HAD  TO  TELL  27 

"  Never  mind  if  he  was  young  or  old,  or  clean- 
shaven or  not,"  cried  the  story-teller.  "  This 
man " 

"Was  he  an  American  or  a  foreigner?"  de- 
manded Gus  Plum.  "  That  is  something  we  have 
simply  got  to  know." 

"  And  if  he  was  knock-kneed,"  put  in  Sam.  "  I 
hate  love  stories  about  knock-kneed  men.  They 
aren't  a  bit  romantic." 

"  Who  said  anything  about  a  love  story  about 
a  knock-kneed  man?"  burst  out  Shadow.  "I 
said " 

But  what  Shadow  was  going  to  say  was  drowned 
out  in  the  sudden  report  of  a  shotgun, — a  report 
so  close  at  hand  that  it  made  nearly  every  student 
present  stop  in  alarm. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  SCHOOLBOY  HUNTERS 

"  Dave,  what  did  you  shoot  at?" 

It  was  Phil  who  asked  the  question,  for  he 
had  been  the  only  one  to  see  Dave  raise  his  shot- 
gun, take  quick  aim,  and  fire  into  the  brushwood 
lining  the  river  at  that  point. 

"  I  shot  at  a  rabbit,  and  I  think  I  hit  him," 
was  the  reply.  "  I'll  soon  know."  And  Dave 
skated  toward  the  shore,  less  than  twenty  yards 
away.  He  poked  into  the  bushes  with  the  barrel 
of  his  gun  and  soon  brought  forth  a  fat,  white 
rabbit  wihich  he  held  up  with  satisfaction. 

"Hurrah!"  cried  the  senator's  son.  "First 
prize  goes  to  Dave  I  He's  a  fine  one,  too,"  he 
added,  as  the  students  gathered  around  to  inspect 
the  game. 

"  Thought  you  said  you  wouldn't  shoot  any- 
thing less  than  an  elephant,"  grunted  Buster. 

"  The  elephant  will  come  later,"  answered 
Dave,  with  a  smile. 

"  I'd  like  to  get  a  couple  like  that,"  said  Gus 
Plum,  wistfully. 

"  Maybe  that  will  be  the  total  for  the  day," 
a8 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  HUNTERS  29 

was  Sam's  comment.  He  had  gone  wild-turkey 
shooting  once  and  gotten  a  shot  at  the  start  and 
then  nothing  more,  so  he  was  inclined  to  be  skep- 
tical. 

"  Oh,  we'll  get  more,  if  we  are  careful  and 
keep  our  eyes  open,"  declared  Dave.  "  I  saw  the 
track  of  the  rabbit  in  the  snow  yonder  and  that 
made  me  look  for  him." 

Dave's  success  put  all  the  students  on  the  alert, 
and  they  spread  out  on  either  side  of  the  stream, 
eager  to  sight  more  game. 

Less  than  two  minutes  later  came  the  crack  of 
Gus  Plum's  shotgun,  followed  almost  immediately 
by  a  shot  from  Buster  Beggs'  pistol.  Then  a 
gray  rabbit  went  scampering  across  the  river  in 
front  of  the  boys  and  several  fired  simultane- 
ously. 

"  I  got  him !  I  got  him !  "  shouted  Gus,  and 
ran  to  the  shore,  to  bring  out  a  medium-sized 
rabbit. 

"And  we've  got  another!  "  cried  Sam.  "  But 
I  don't  know  whether  Shadow,  Ben,  or  I  killed 
him." 

"  I  guess  we  all  had  a  hand  in  It,"  said  Ben. 
"  We  all  fired  at  about  the  same  time." 

"  What  did  you  get.  Buster?  "  questioned  Chip 
Macklin. 

"  I — I  guess  I  didn't  get  anything,"  faltered 
the  fat  youth.     "  I  thought  I  saw  a  squirrel,  but 


30       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

I  see  now  that  it  is  only  a  tree  root  sticking  out 
of  the  snow." 

"  Great  Scott,  Buster !  Don't  shoot  down  the 
trees  1 "  cried  Phil,  in  mock  dismay.  "  They 
might  fall  on  us,  you  know !  "  And  a  laugh 
arose  at  the  would-be  hunter's  expense. 

On  the  students  skated,  and  before  long  reached 
a  point  where  the  river  was  parted  by  a  long, 
narrow  strip  of  land  known  as  Squirrel  Island, 
because  squirrels  were  supposed  to  abound 
there. 

As  they  reached  the  lower  end  of  the  island 
Dave  held  up  his  hand  as  a  warning. 

"  I  think  I  saw  some  partridges  ahead,"  he  said, 
in  a  low  voice.  "  If  they  are  there  we  don't  want 
to  disturb  them.  Put  down  the  hamper  and  take 
off  your  skates,  and  we'll  try  to  bag  them." 

His  chums  were  not  slow  in  complying  with 
his  commands,  and  soon  the  crowd  was  making 
its  way  toward  the  center  of  the  island,  where 
grew  a  dense  clump  of  cedars.  They  had  to  work 
their  way  through  the  brushwood. 

"  Ouch  1  "  exclaimed  Shadow,  presently. 

"What's  the  trouble?"  whispered  Roger. 

"  Scratched  my  hand  on  a  bramble  bush,"  was 
the  reply.     "  But  it  isn't  much." 

"  Be  careful  of  your  guns,"  cautioned  Dave. 
"  Don't  let  a  trigger  get  caught  in  a  bush  or  you 
may  have  an  accident." 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  HUNTERS  31 

"  There  they  are !  "  cried  Ben,  in  a  strained 
voice.     "  My,  what  a  lot  of  'em  1  " 

He  pointed  ahead,  and  to  one  side  of  the  tall 
cedars  they  saw  a  covey  of  partridges,  at  least 
twenty  in  number,  resting  on  the  ground. 

"All  together!"  said  Dave,  in  a  low,  steady 
voice.  "  Fire  as  you  stand,  those  on  the  right  to 
the  right,  those  on  the  left  to  the  left,  and  those 
in  the  center  for  the  middle  of  the  flock.  I'll 
count.     Ready?    One,  two,  three!  " 

Crack!  bang!  crack!  bang!  went  the  shotguns 
and  pistols.  Then  came  a  rushing,  rattling,  roar- 
ing sound,  and  up  into  the  air  went  what  was  left 
of  the  covey,  one  partridge,  being  badly  wounded, 
flying  in  a  circle  and  then  directly  for  Roger's 
head.  He  struck  it  with  his  gun  barrel  and  then 
caught  it  in  his  hands,  quickly  putting  it  out  of 
its  misery.  The  other  boys  continued  to  bang 
away,  but  soon  the  escaping  game  was  beyond  their 
reach. 

"  A  pretty  good  haul !  "  cried  Dave,  as  he  and 
his  chums  moved  forward.  "  Three  here  and  the 
one  Roger  has  makes  four.  Boys,  we  won't  go 
back  empty-handed." 

"  Who  hit  and  who  missed?  "  questioned  Sam. 

"  That  would  be  a  hard  question  to  answer," 
returned  Phil.  "  Better  let  the  credit  go  to  the 
whole  crowd,"  and  so  it  was  decided. 

"  Well,   there  isn't  much   use   in   looking   for 


32        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

any  more  game  around  here,"  said  Dave.  "  Those 
volleys  of  shots  will  make  them  lay  low  for  some 
time." 

"  Let's  go  into  camp  and  get  lunch,"  suggested 
Buster.    "  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  bear." 

"Were  you  ever  anything  else?"  questioned 
Ben,  with  a  grin,  for  the  stout  youth's  constant 
desire  to  eat  was  well  known. 

They  tramped  to  the  south  shore  of  the  island, 
and  there,  in  a  nook  that  was  sheltered  from  the 
north  wind,  they  went  into  temporary  camp,  cut- 
ting down  some  brushwood  and  heavier  fuel  and 
building  a  fire.  Over  the  flames  they  arranged  a 
stick,  from  which  they  hung  a  kettle  filled  with 
water  obtained  by  chopping  a  hole  through  the 
ice  of  the  river. 

"  Now,  when  the  water  boils,  we  can  have  some 
coffee,"  said  Roger,  who  was  getting  out  the  tin 
cups.  "  And  we  can  roast  those  potatoes  while 
the  water  boils,"  he  added. 

"  W^hat  about  some  rabbit  pot-pie,  or  roast 
partridge?"  asked  Buster. 

"  Oh,  let  us  take  all  the  game  back  to  the 
school !  "  exclaimed  Ben.  "  Just  to  show  the  fel- 
lows what  we  got,  you  know." 

"  That's  the  talk!  "  cried  Gus.  "  If  we  don't, 
maybe  they  won't  believe  we  were  so  lucky." 

"  Yes,  let  us  take  it  all  back,"  chimed  in  Chip 
Macklin. 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  HUNTERS  33 

All  but  Buster  were  willing  to  keep  the  game. 
He  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"  All  right,  if  we  must,"  he  said  mournfully. 
"  But  it  makes  my  mouth  water,  just  the  same  I  " 
And  he  eyed  the  plump  rabbits  and  fat  partridges 
wistfully. 

Inside  of  half  an  hour  the  lunch  was  under 
way.  Around  the  roaring  campfire  sat  the  stu- 
dents, some  on  convenient  rocks  and  others  on  a 
fallen  tree  that  chanced  to  be  handy.  They  had 
brought  with  them  several  kinds  of  sandwiches, 
besides  hard-boiled  eggs,  crackers,  cheese,  some 
cake,  and  the  coffee,  with  a  small  bottle  of  cream 
and  some  sugar.  They  also  had  some  potatoes 
for  roasting,  and  though  these  got  partly  burned, 
all  declared  them  "  fine  "  or  "  elegant," — which 
shows  what  outdoor  air  will  do  for  one's  ap- 
petite. 

They  took  their  time,  and  during  the  meal 
Shadow  was  allowed  to  tell  as  many  stories  as 
he  pleased,  much  to  his  satisfaction.  It  was  Dave 
who  was  the  first  to  get  up. 

"  Might  as  well  be  moving,"  he  said,  after  con- 
sulting his  watch.  "  We'll  have  to  start  on  the 
return  inside  of  two  hours,  and  that  won't  give 
us  much  time  for  hunting." 

"  Wait,  I  want  just  one  more  picture !  "  cried 
Sam,  who  had  been  busy  before  with  his  camera. 
"  Now  all  look  as  happy  as  if  to-morrow  were 


34       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Christmas !  "  And  as  the  others  grinned  over  the 
joke,  click  I  went  the  shutter  of  the  box,  and  the 
picture  was  snapped. 

"  Now,  Sam,  let  me  take  you,  with  a  gun  in  one 
hand  and  the  partridges  in  the  other !  "  cried 
Dave.  "  If  it  turns  out  well,  we  can  have  it  en- 
larged for  our  dormitory."  And  a  minute  later 
another  picture  was  added  to  the  roll  of  films. 

"  Why  not  leave  the  things  here  and  come  back 
for  them?  "  suggested  Roger.  "  No  use  in  toting 
the  hamper  and  game  everywhere." 

"  V^e  can  hang  the  game  in  a  tree,"  added  Ben. 

All  agreed  to  this,  and  so  the  hamper  and  the 
game  were  hung  up  on  the  limbs  of  a  near-by  wal- 
nut tree  along  with  their  skates  and  some  other 
things.  Then  the  fire  was  kicked  out,  so  that  it 
might  not  start  a  conflagration  in  the  woods,  and 
the  students  prepared  to  continue  their  hunt. 

"  I  guess  we  may  as  well  tramp  to  the  upper 
end  of  the  island  first,"  said  Dave,  in  answer  to 
a  question  from  his  companions.  "  Then,  if  we 
have  time,  we  can  beat  up  one  shore  and  then 
the  other.  By  that  time  it  will  be  getting  dark 
and  time  to  turn  back  to  the  Hall." 

"  Say,  wait  a  minute  1  "  cried  Ben,  suddenly. 

"  What's  wrong,  Ben  ?  "  asked  several. 

"  Why,  I — er — I  thought  I  saw  somebody  over 
in  the  woods  yonder,  looking  at  us,"  and  the 
Crumville  lad  pointed  to  the  trees  in  question. 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  HUNTERS  35 

All  gazed  steadily  in  the  direction  but  saw  nothing 
unusual. 

*'  Maybe  it  was  a  rabbit,  or  a  bear,  or  something 
like  that,"  suggested  Buster.  "  If  it's  a  bear  we 
had  better  look  out,"  he  added,  nervously. 

"  We'll  soon  find  out,"  said  Dave.  "  Come  on," 
and  he  walked  forward  toward  the  woods.  But 
he  found  nothing  and  soon  rejoined  his  com- 
panions. 

"  I  must  have  been  mistaken,"  said  Ben. 
**  Come  on,  if  we  are  to  do  any  hunting."  And 
off  he  stalked,  and  one  by  one  the  others  fol- 
lowed. 

Evidently  the  shots  at  the  partridges  had  scared 
much  of  the  game  away,  for  at  the  upper  end  of 
the  island  they  started  up  nothing  but  two  squir- 
rels and  a  few  wild  pigeons.  Then  they  came 
down  the  north  shore  and  there  bagged  two  rab- 
bits. They  also  saw  a  wild  turkey,  but  it  got 
away  before  anybody  could  take  aim  at  it. 

"  See,  it  has  started  to  snow  I  "  cried  the  sena- 
tor's son,  presently,  and  he  was  right.  At  first 
the  flakes  were  few,  but  inside  of  five  minutes  it 
was  snowing  steadily. 

"  We  may  as  well  start  for  the  Hall,"  said 
Dave.  "  This  storm  looks  as  if  it  might  last  for 
some  time." 

They  left  the  shore  and  soon  reached  the  edge 
of  the  island.    By  this  time  the  snowflakes  were 


36       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

coming  down  so  thickly  that  the  boys  could  see 
but  little  around  them.  The  sky  was  now  grow- 
ing quite  dark. 

*'  I  don't  like  this,"  was  Phil's  comment. 
"  We'll  have  no  fun  of  it  getting  back  to  school, 
especially  if  the  snow  gets  so  deep  that  we  can't 
skate  on  the  ice." 

"  Say,  this  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  com- 
menced Shadow.  "  Once  two  boys  were  caught 
in  a  storm  and " 

"  We  haven't  any  time  for  yams  now, 
Shadow !  "  cried  Dave.  "  It's  back  to  the  camping 
place  as  fast  as  we  can  get  there,  and  then  off  for 
school,  unless  we  want  to  be  snowed  in  along  the 
route  I" 

All  started  across  the  island,  which,  at  that 
point,  was  not  over  seventy-five  yards  wide.  They 
came  out  at  a  spot  just  above  where  they  had 
stopped  for  lunch.  Soon  all  of  them  stood  close 
to  where  lay  the  remains  of  the  campfire,  now 
covered  with  the  fast-falling  snow. 

"  Hello  I    What  does  this  mean?  " 

"  Where  is  the  hamper?  " 

"Where  is  the  game?" 

"  What  has  become  of  the  skates?  " 

"Where  is  that  overcoat  I  left  on  the  tree?" 

These  and  several  other  questions  were  asked  in 
rapid  succession.  Then  the  Oak  Hall  students 
looked  at  each  other  in  blank  dismay. 


THE  SCHOOLBOY  HUNTERS  37' 

And  not  without  good  reason.  For  everything 
left  at  the  camping  spot  when  they  had  continued 
the  hunt — game,  hamper,  skates,  an  overcoat,  a 
sweater,  and  some  other  things  of  lesser  impor- 
tance— all  had  disappeared! 


CHAPTER  V 

A  TRAMP  THROUGH  THE  SNOW 

"  What  do  you  make  of  this,  Dave  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  it,  Roger — ex- 
cepting that  somebody  has  taken  our  things." 

"  Do  you  think  it's  a  joke,  or  just  plain  steal- 
ing?" demanded  Ben. 

"  That  remains  to  be  found  out,"  replied  Ben. 
"  One  thing  is  certain,  the  things  didn't  walk  off 
by  themselves." 

"  Footprints  of  two  persons  I  "  exclaimed  Gus, 
who  had  been  scanning  the  snow-covered  ground 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  trees  and  bushes, 

"Where  do  they  lead  to?"  asked  Dave, 
eagerly. 

"  Here  they  are — ^you  can  follow  them  as  easily 
as  I  can,"  was  the  reply,  and  the  heavy-set  youth 
pointed  out  the  tracks  in  the  snow.  They  led  all 
around  the  trees  and  bushes  and  then  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  river.  Here  there  were  a  jumble  of 
tracks  and  further  on  the  marks  of  skate  runners. 

"  Stopped  to  put  on  their  skates,"  remarked  the 
senator's  son. 

"  And  they  have  skated  off  with  all  our  things  *  " 
38 


A  TRAMP  THROUGH  THE  SNOW       39 

grumbled  Buster  Beggs.  "  What  are  we  going  to 
do?" 

"  Say,  that  puts  me  In  mind  of  a  story,"  came 
quickly  from  Shadow.  "  Once  two  boys  were 
out  skating  and " 

*'  For  the  sake  of  the  mummies  of  Egypt,  let 
up  on  the  story-telling.  Shadow  I  "  burst  out  Phil. 
'*  Don't  you  realiz.e  what  this  loss  means  to  us? 
It's  bad  enough  to  lose  the  hamper  and  clothing, 
but  what  are  we  to  do  in  this  snowstorm,  with 
night  coming  on,  and  so  far  from  Oak  Hall  with- 
out skates?" 

"  Humph !  I  guess  we'll  have  to  walk,"  grum- 
bled the  story-teller  of  the  school.  "  But  that  will 
take  time,  and  If  this  storm  keeps  up " 

"We'll  be  snowed  under  I  "  finished  Chip 
Macklin. 

**  Well,  no  use  in  staying  here,"  came  from  two 
of  the  students. 

"  That  is  just  what  I  say,"  said  Dave.  "  Those 
skate  marks  lead  down  the  river  and  that  is  the 
way  we  want  to  go.  By  following  them  we'll  be 
getting  nearer  to  the  Hall  and  at  the  same  time 
closer  to  the  fellows  who  took  our  things." 

"  We'll  never  catch  those  fellows,"  grumbled 
Ben.  "  They  can  skate  five  times  as  fast  as  we 
can  walk." 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  go  after  'em  anyway,"  re- 
plied Gus.    "  And  If  we  catch  'em — — "    He  did 


40       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

not  finish  in  words  but  brought  his  right  fist  down 
hard  into  his  left  palm,  which  left  no  doubt  as 
to  how  he  intended  to  treat  the  thieves. 

"  M'aybe  it's  a  trick  of  some  of  the  Rockville 
cadets,"  suggested  Buster,  when  the  crowd  were 
on  their  way  down  the  river. 

"  Say,  don't  you  remember  my  saying  I  thought 
I  saw  somebody  near  the  camp,  just  before  we  went 
away  ?  "  burst  out  Ben.  "  You  all  thought  I  was 
mistaken." 

"  Well,  I  reckon  you  were  not  mistaken,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  It's  a  great  pity  we  didn't  in- 
vestigate more  before  leaving." 

"  No  use  in  crying  over  spilt  milk,"  said  Sam. 

"  Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  sto "  com- 
menced Shadow,  and  then  suddenly  stopped  talk- 
ing and  commenced  to  whistle  to  himself. 

"  Say,  boys,  if  anybody  should  ask  you,  you 
can  tell  him  it  is  snowing  some,"  puffed  Buster, 
who  was  struggling  to  keep  up  with  those  in  front. 
"  If  it  wasn't  that  we  were  on  the  river,  it  would 
be  easy  to  lose  our  way." 

"  That's  true,"  replied  Dave.  "  The  snow 
seems  to  be  coming  down  heavier  every 
minute." 

"  Yes,  and  the  wind  is  coming  up,"  added 
Roger.  "  We'll  have  a  hard  time  of  it  reaching 
the  Hall.    We'll  never  do  it  by  supper-time." 

"  Then  where  are  we  going  to  get  something 


A  TRAMP  THROUGH  THE  SNOW       41 

to  eat?"  demanded  Buster.  "  Fm  not  going 
without  my  supper  just  because  I  can't  get 
back." 

"  Perhaps  we  can  get  something  at  some  farm- 
house," suggested  Phil. 

"  I've  got  an  idea !  "  cried  Dave.  "  Why  can't 
we  get  some  farmer  to  hook,  up  a  carriage  or  a 
sleigh  and  take  us  to  the  Hall  that  way?  " 

"  Hurrah,  just  the  cheese !  "  cried  Ben,  who 
did  not  relish  walking  such  a  distance.  "  The 
thing  is,  though,  to  find  the  farmer,"  he  continued 
soberly. 

"  Keep  your  eyes  open  for  lights,"  suggested 
Dave,  and  this  was  done. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  more  was  covered,  the  stu- 
dents hugging  the  north  shore  of  the  stream,  as 
that  afforded  the  most  shelter  from  the  rising 
wind.     Then  Roger  gave  a  cry. 

"  I  think  I  saw  a  light  through  the  snow  I  Just 
look  that  way,  fellows,  and  see  if  I  am  right." 

All  gazed  in  the  direction  indicated,  and  pres- 
ently three  of  the  boys  made  out  a  glimmer,  as  if 
it  came  from  a  lantern  being  swung  to  and  fro. 
.Then  the  light  disappeared. 

"  Perhaps  it's  some  farmer  going  out  to  care 
for  his  cattle,"  said  Dave.  "  Let  us  walk  over 
and  see,"  and  this  was  done. 

Dave  was  correct  in  his  surmise,  and  soon  the 
boys  approached  a  big  cow-shed,  through  a  win- 


42        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

dow  of  which  they  saw  the  faint  rays  of  a  lantern. 
Just  as  they  did  this  they  heard  a  voice  cry  out 
in  wonder. 

*'  W^hat  be  you  fellers  a-doin'  in  my  cow-shed?  " 

*'  Oh,  we  just  came  in  to  rest  out  of  the  storm," 
was  the  answer,  in  a  voice  that  sounded  strangely 
familiar  to  Dave.  "  We  are  not  going  to  hurt 
your  shed  any,  or  the  cattle  either." 

"  It's  Mallory,  of  Rockville  I  "  whispered  Dave 
to  his  fellow  students,  naming  the  cadet  who  was 
the  star  hockey  player  of  the  military  academy 
team. 

"  And  Bazen  and  Holt  are  with  him,"  added 
Phil,  gazing  through  a  partly-open  doorway,  and 
naming  two  other  Rockville  cadets. 

"  Hello,  who's  out  there?  "  cried  the  owner  of 
the  cow-shed,  and,  lantern  in  hand,  he  turned  to 
survey  the  newcomers. 

"  Why,  it's  Mr.  Opperl  "  cried  Sam.  "  Don't 
you  remember  me?  I  called  last  summer,  to  see 
some  of  your  young  lady  boarders." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  remember  you,"  replied  Homer 
Opper.  *'  You  hired  my  dappled  mare  for  a 
ride." 

"  That's  it,  Mr.  Opper.    Say,  that  mare  could 

go." 

"Go?  Ain't  no  hossflesh  in  these  parts  kin 
beat  her,"  cried  the  farmer  proudly.  "  She  won 
the  prize  at  the  last  county  fair,  she  didl     But 


A  TRAMP  THROUGH  THE  SNOW       43 

wot  brung  ye  here,  sech  a  night  as  this?"  added 
Homer  Opper  curiously. 

"  Hello,  Porter,  old  man  I  "  cried  Mallory, 
rising  from  a  box  on  which  he  had  been  seated 
and  shaking  hands.  "  Caught  in  the  storm,  too, 
eh?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Dave.  He  gazed  curiously  at 
the  Rockville  cadet  and  his  companions.  "  Been 
up  the  river?  " 

"  Not  any  further  than  this." 

"Hunting?" 

"  No,  skating.  We  would  be  going  back,  only 
Holt  broke  one  of  his  skates  and  that  delayed  us. 
Been  out  hunting,  eh?    Any  luck?  " 

"  Some — good  and  bad.  We  shot  some  rab- 
bits, squirrels,  and  partridges,  and  we  likewise 
had  our  hamper,  our  skates,  an  overcoat,  and  some 
other  things  stolen." 

"  Stolen  I  "  cried  Homer  Opper.  "  By  gum, 
thet's  tough  luck!     Who  tuk  the  things?" 

"  That  is  what  we  want  to  find  out,"  and  as 
Dave  spoke  he  looked  sharply  at  Mallory  and  the 
other  Rockville  cadets. 

"  Not  guilty,"  came  promptly  from  Bazen. 
"  Honest  Injun,  Porter,  if  you  think  we  touched 
your  things,  you  are  on  the  wrong  track;  isn't 
that  so,  fellows?  " 

"  It  is,"  came  promptly  from  Mallory  and  Holt. 
Then  suddenly  the  star  hockey  player  of  Rock- 


44        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

ville  Academy  let  out  a  long,  low  whistle  of  sur- 
prise. 

"  You  know  something?"  demanded  Dave. 

"  Maybe  I  do,"  was  Mallory's  slow  answer. 
"  Yes,  I  am  sure  I  do,"  he  added.  "  You  can 
put  the  puzzle  together  yourself  if  you  wish,  Por- 
ter— because,  you  see,  I  hate  to  accuse  anybody." 

"  What  do  you  know?  " 

"  I  know  this :  Less  than  an  hour  ago  we  met 
two  fellows  on  the  river,  one  with  a  hamper  and 
the  other  with  a  bundle  that  looked  as  if  it  was 
done  up  in  an  overcoat  turned  inside  out.  We 
came  on  the  fellows  rather  suddenly,  at  a  turn 
where  there  were  some  bushes." 

"  Our  stuff,  as  sure  as  you're  a  foot  high  1  " 
cried  Phil. 

"Who  were  the  fellows,  do  you  know?"  de- 
manded the  senator's  son. 

At  this  question  Mallory  looked  at  Holt  and 
Bazen. 

"  I  wasn't  exactly  sure,  but "    He  hesitated 

to  go  on. 

"  I  was  sure  enough,"  chimed  in  Holt.  "  They 
were  those  chaps  who  came  to  our  school  from 
Oak  Hall  and  then  ran  away — Jasniff  and  Mer- 
well.    How  about  it,  Tom?  " 

"  I  think  they  were  Jasniff  and  Merwell,"  an- 
swered Tom  Bazen.  *'  To  be  sure,  as  soon  as  they 
saw  us,  they  skated  away  as  fast  as  they  could, 


A  TRAMP  THROUGH  THE  SNOW       45 

and  kept  their  faces  hidden.  But  if  they  weren't 
Jasniff  and  Merwell  they  were  pretty  good 
doubles." 

"  Jasniff  and  Merwell,"  murmured  Dave,  and 
his  heart  sank  a  little.  Here  was  more  under- 
handed work  of  his  old  enemies. 

The  farmer  and  the  Rockville  cadets  were  anx-  • 
ious  to  hear  the  particulars  of  the  happening,  and 
the  Oak  Hall  lads  told  of  what  had  occurred. 

"  I  know  those  chaps,"  said  Homer  Opper. 
"  They  stayed  here  one  night  last  summer.  But 
they  cut  up  so  the  boarders  didn't  like  it,  so  my 
wife  told  'em  she  didn't  have  no  room  for  'cm, 
an'  they  left.     They  ought  to  be  locked  up." 

"  They  will  be  locked  up,  if  we  can  lay  hands 
on  them,"  replied  Phil. 

"  They  must  have  followed  us  to  Squirrel  Island, 
and  spied  on  us,"  said  Shadow.  "  Ben,  you  were 
right  about  seeing  somebody.  It  must  have  been 
either  Merwell  or  Jasniff." 

"  Have  you  any  idea  where  they  went?  "  asked 
the  shipowner's  son. 

"  No,  they  skated  away  behind  an  island  and 
that's  the  last  we  saw  of  them,"  answered  Mal- 
lory. 

"  Yes,  and  I  reckon  it's  the  last  we'll  hear  of 
our  things,"  returned  Buster,  mournfully.  "  But 
come  on,  let  us  see  about  getting  back,"  he  con- 
tinued.    "  It's  'most  time  for  supper  now." 


46       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Mr.  Opper,  can  you  take  us  back  to  Oak 
Hall  ?  "  asked  Dave.  "  We'll  pay  you  for  your 
trouble." 

The  farmer  looked  at  the  students  and  rubbed 
his  chin  reflectively.  Then  he  gazed  out  at  the 
storm  and  the  snow-covered  ground. 

"  Might  hook  up  my  big  sleigh  and  do  it,"  he 
said.     "  But  it  would  be  quite  a  job." 

"  What  would  it  be  worth?  "  asked  Ben. 

"  Oh,  I  dunno — three  or  four  dollars,  at 
least.  It's  a  tough  night  to  be  out  in — an'  I'd 
have  to  drive  back,  or  put  up  at  the  town  all 
night." 

"  Supposing  we  gave  you  fifty  cents  apiece," 
suggested  Roger. 

"  And  we'll  go  along — as  far  as  Rockville,  at 
the  same  price — if  you'll  have  us,"  added  Mal- 
lory,  quickly. 

"  Why,  yes,  Mallory,  and  welcome,"  answered 
Dave  cordially.  "  That  is,  if  the  turnout  will 
hold  us  all." 

"  Sure  it  will,"  answered  Homer  Opper.  "  An' 
if  ye  all  go  an'  pay  fifty  cents  each," — he  counted 
them  mentally  as  he  spoke — "  I'll  hook  up  my 
four  bosses  an'  git  ye  there  in  jig  time." 

"  Then  it's  a  go,"  answered  Dave,  after  his 
chums  and  the  Rockville  cadets  had  nodded  their 
approval. 

"  And  do  hurry,"   called  out  Buster,   as  the 


A  TRAMP  THROUGH  THE  SNOW       47 

farmer  moved  away  to  prepare  for  the  journey. 
"  We  don't  want  to  miss  our  suppers." 

"  Ye  ain't  goin'  to  miss  nuthin',"  called  the 
farmer. 

Inside  of  fifteen  minutes  he  came  around  to  the 
cow-shed  with  a  big,  low  sleigh,  to  which  were 
attached  four  fine-looking  horses.  The  sleigh  con- 
tained two  lanterns  and  a  quantity  of  wraps  and 
robes. 

"  Don't  want  ye  to  catch  cold,  when  we're 
a-drivin'  fast,"  chuckled  Homer  Opper.  "  Now 
pile  right  in,  an'  we'll  be  movin'." 

The  boys  needed  no  second  invitation,  and  soon 
all  were  aboard — Dave  and  Roger  on  the  front 
seat  with  the  driver  and  the  others  behind,  in- 
cluding the  Rockville  cadets.  Then  came  a  crack 
of  the  whip,  and  away  through  the  swirling  snow 
moved  the  big  sleigh,  bound  for  the  two  schools. 


CHAPTER  VI 

GOOD-BY  TO  OAK  HALL 

"  Where  In  the  world  have  you  boys  been  ? 
Why  didn't  you  come  back  in  time  for  supper? 
Don't  you  know  it  is  against  the  rules  to  stay 
away  like  this?  " 

Thus  it  was  that  Job  Haskers,  the  second  assist- 
ant teacher  of  Oak  Hall,  greeted  Dave  and  his 
chums  as  they  came  in,  after  leaving  the  big  sleigh 
and  settling  with  Homer  Opper. 

"  We  are  sorry  that  we  couldn't  get  here  be- 
fore, Mr.  Haskers,"  answered  Dave.  "  But 
something  unusual  happened  and  we  were  de- 
layed." 

"  I'll  not  accept  any  excuses !  "  snapped  the 
teacher,  who  had  not  forgotten  how  the  boys  had 
hurried  away  without  listening  to  his  call  from  the 
window.  "  I  think  I'll  send  you  to  bed  supper- 
less.    It  is  no  more  than  you  deserve." 

"  Supperless  1 "  gasped  Buster,  in  dismay. 
"  Oh,  Mr.  Haskers,  we  don't  deserve  such  treat- 
ment, really  we  don't !  " 

"  We  have  been  robbed — that  is  what  delayed 
48 


GOOD-BY  TO  OAK  HALL  49 

us,"  declared  Phil.  "  I  guess  we  had  better  re- 
port to  Doctor  Clay,  or  Mr.  Dale,"  he  went  on, 
significantly. 

"  You  can  report  to  me,"  answered  Job  Mas- 
kers, with  increased  severity.  "  There  is  no  need 
to  bother  the  doctor,  and  Mr.  Dale  has  gone 
away  for  over  Sunday." 

"  Well,  boys,  back  again !  "  cried  a  cheery  voice 
from  an  upper  landing,  and  then  Doctor  Clay  came 
down,  wearing  his  gown  and  slippers.  "  A  wild 
storm  to  be  out  in.  I  am  glad  you  got  back 
safely." 

"  They  are  late — and  you  said  you  gave  them 
no  permission  to  be  out  after  hours,"  said  Job 
Haskers,  tartly. 

"Hum!  Did  I?"  mused  the  kindly  head  of 
the  school.  "  Well,  when  it  storms  like  this  it,  of 
course,  makes  some  difference." 

"  We  would  have  been  back  in  time  only  we 
were  robbed  of  our  skates  and  some  other  things," 
answered  Dave.  "  We  had  to  walk  a  long  dis- 
tance through  the  storm,  and  we'd  not  be  here  yet 
if  we  hadn't  managed  to  hire  a  farmer  to  bring 
us  in  his  sleigh," 

"  Robbed !  "  echoed  Doctor  Clay,  catching  at 
the  word.  "How  was  that?"  And  he  listened 
with  keen  interest  to  what  the  boys  had  to  tell. 
Even  Job  Haskers  became  curious,  and  said  no 
more  about  penalizing  them  for  being  late. 


50       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  And  you  are  sure  the  fellows  were  Merwell 
and  Jasniff  ?  "  asked  the  assistant  teacher. 

"  All  I  know  on  that  point  is  what  Mallory  and 
his  chums  had  to  say,"  answered  Dave. 

"  I  think  it  would  be  like  that  pair  to  follow 
you  up,"  said  Doctor  Clay,  with  a  grave  shake 
of  his  head.  "  They  are  two  very  bad  boys, — 
worse,  Porter,  than  you  can  imagine,"  and  he 
looked  knowingly  at  Job  Haskers  as  he  spoke. 
"  Now  go  in  to  supper,  and  after  that,  you.  Por- 
ter, Morr,  and  Lawrence,  may  come  to  my  study 
and  talk  the  matter  over  further." 

Wondering  what  else  had  happened  to  upset 
the  head  of  the  school,  Dave  followed  his  chums 
to  the  dining-hall.  Here  a  late  supper  awaited 
the  crowd,  to  which,  it  is  perhaps  needless  to  state, 
all  did  full  justice. 

"  Do  you  think  we  can  track  Jasniff  and  Mer- 
well? "  asked  the  senator's  son,  during  the  course 
of  the  repast. 

"  I  don't,"  answered  Dave  frankly.  "  For  they 
will  do  their  best  to  keep  out  of  our  way." 

A  little  later  found  Dave,  Phil,  and  Roger  in 
the  doctor's  private  study,  a  sort  of  library  con- 
nected with  his  regular  office.  The  head  of  Oak 
Hall  was  reading  a  German  historical  work,  but 
laid  the  volume  down  as  they  filed  in. 

"  Sit  down,  boys,"  said  Doctor  Clay,  pleasantly, 
and  when  they  were  seated,   he  added :   "  Now 


GOOD-BY  TO  OAK  HALL  51 

kindly  tell  me  all  you  know  about  Mcrwell  and 
Jasniff." 

"  Do  you  want  to  know  everything,  Doctor? 
asked  Dave,  in  some  surprise. 

"  Yes, — and  later  on,  I'll  tell  you  why." 

"  All  right,"  answered  the  youth  from  Crum- 
ville,  and  he  told  of  the  many  things  that  had 
happened,  both  at  the  school  and  at  home — ^not 
forgetting  about  the  auto  ride  in  which  Laura  and 
Jessie  were  supposed  to  have  participated. 

"  It  all  fits  in  I  "  cried  Doctor  Clay,  drawing  a 
deep  sigh.  He  tapped  the  table  with  the  tips  of 
his  fingers.  "  I  wonder  where  It  will  end?  "  he 
mused,  half  to  himself. 

"  You  said  that  Merwell  and  Jasniff  were  worse 
than  we  Imagined,"  suggested  Dave,  to  draw  the 
doctor  out. 

"  So  I  did.  Porter.  I  will  tell  you  boys  some- 
thing, but  please  do  not  let  It  go  any  further. 
Since  Jasniff  and  Merwell  became  pupils  at  Rock- 
ville  Military  Academy  and  since  they  ran  away 
from  that  institution  they  have  been  doing  every- 
thing they  could  think  of  to  annoy  me.  They 
have  sent  farmers  here  with  produce  that  I  never 
ordered,  and  have  had  publishers  send  me  school- 
books  that  I  did  not  want.  Worse  than  that,  they 
have  circulated  reports  to  my  scholars'  parents  that 
this  school  was  running  down,  that  it  was  in  debt, 
and  that  some  pupils  were  getting  sick  because 


52        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

the  sewerage  system  was  out  of  order.  Some  of 
the  parents  have  written  to  me,  and  two  were  on 
the  point  of  taking  their  boys  away,  thinking  the 
reports  were  true.  Fortunately  I  was  able  to  prove 
the  reports  false,  and  the  boys  remained  here. 
But  I  do  not  know  how  far  these  slanders  are  being 
circulated  and  what  the  effect  will  be  in  the  future." 

"  And  you  are  sure  they  come  from  Merwell 
and  Jasniff?"  questioned  Phil. 

*'  I  am  sure  at  least  one  letter  was  written  by 
Merwell,  and  one  farmer  who  brought  a  load  of 
cabbages  here  said  they  were  ordered  by  two  young 
men  who  looked  like  Merwell  and  Jasniff." 

"  Oh,  nobody  else  would  do  it!  "  cried  Roger. 
"  Merwell  and  Jasniff  are  guilty,  not  the  least 
doubt  of  itl  The  question  is:  How  can  we  catch 
them?" 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  question,"  said  Doctor  Clay. 
"  I  have  notified  the  local  authorities  to  be  on  the 
watch  for  them,  and  now  I  think  I  shall  hire  a 
private  detective." 

"  Do  it,  Doctor,"  said  Dave  eagerly.  "  I  will 
pay  half  the  expense.  I  know  that  my  father  will 
approve  of  such  a  course."  And  so  the  matter 
rested.  The  private  detective  came  to  Oak  Hall 
two  days  later,  and  after  interviewing  the  doctor 
and  the  boys,  said  he  would  do  his  best  to  run 
down  Link  Merwell  and  Nick  Jasniff. 

It  snowed  hard  for  a  day  and  a  night  and  when 


GOOD-BY  TO  OAK  HALL  53 

it  cleared  off  the  boys  had  considerable  fun  snow- 
balling each  other  and  in  coasting  down  a  long 
hill  leading  to  the  river.  Pop  Swingly,  the  janitor, 
came  in  for  his  full  share  of  the  snow-balling  and 
so  did  Jackson  Lemond,  usually  called  Horsehair, 
the  Hall  carryall  driver.  Horsehair  was  caught 
coming  from  the  barn,  and  half  a  dozen  snowballs 
hit  him  at  the  same  time. 

"  Hi,  you,  stop !  "  he  spluttered,  as  one  snow- 
ball took  him  in  the  chin  and  another  in  the  ear. 
"  Want  to  smother  me  ?  Let  up,  I  say  I  "  And 
he  tried  to  run  away. 

"  These  are  early  Christmas  presents.  Horse- 
hair! "  sang  out  Ben,  merrily,  and  let  the  driver 
have  another,  this  time  in  the  cap. 

"  And  something  to  remember  us  by,  when  we 
are  gone,"  added  Gus,  hitting  him  in  the  arm. 
Then  the  driver  escaped.  He  felt  sore,  and  vowed 
he  would  square  up. 

"  Maybe  he'll  report  us,"  said  Ben,  after  the 
excitement  was  over. 

"  Not  he,"  declared  Gus.  "  He's  not  that  kind. 
But  he'll  lay  for  us, — just  you  wait  and  see."  And 
Gus  was  right.  About  half  an  hour  later  he  and 
Ben  were  told  that  somebody  wanted  to  see  them 
at  the  boathouse.  They  started  for  the  building, 
walking  past  the  gymnasium,  and  as  they  did  so, 
down  on  their  heads  came  a  perfect  avalanche  of 
snow,  sent  from  the  sloping  roof  above.     When 


54        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

they  clawed  their  way  out  of  the  mass  and  looked 
up  they  saw  Horsehair  standing  on  the  roof,  snow- 
shovel  in  hand,  grinning  at  them. 

"  Thought  I'd  give  ye  some  more  snow  fer 
snowballs,"  he  chuckled.  "  Here  ye  are  I  "  And 
down  came  another  avalanche,  sending  the  boys 
flat  a  second  time.  When  they  scrambled  up  they 
ran  off  with  all  speed,  the  merry  laughter  of  the 
carryall  driver  ringing  in  their  ears. 

At  last  came  the  final  session  of  the  school, 
with  the  usual  exercises,  in  which  Dave  and  his 
chums  participated.  Nearly  all  of  the  boys  were 
going  home  for  the  holidays,  including  Dave, 
Phil,  Roger,  and  Ben.  Dave  and  Ben  were,  of 
course,  going  direct  to  Crumville,  and  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  Phil  and  the  senator's  son  should  come 
there  later,  to  visit  our  hero  and  his  family  and 
the  Wadsworths.  Nat  Poole  was  also  going  home, 
and  would  be  on  the  same  train  with  Dave  and  Ben. 

"  I  wish  he  wasn't  going  with  us,"  said  Ben. 
"  I'm  getting  so  I  can't  bear  Nat  at  all." 

"  Well,  he  Isn't  quite  as  bad  as  he  was  when 
he  chummed  with  Merwell  and  Jasniff,"  answered 
our  hero.  "  I  think  their  badness  rather  scared 
Nat.  He  is  mean  and  all  that,  but  he  isn't  a 
criminal." 

"  Well,  I  think  some  meanness  is  a  crime,"  re- 
torted Ben. 

The  boys  had  purchased  gifts  for  Doctor  Clay, 


GOOD-BY  TO  OAK  HALL  55 

Mr.  Dale,  and  some  of  the  others,  and  even  Job 
Haskers  had  been  remembered.  Some  of  the  stu- 
dents had  wanted  to  Ignore  the  tyrannical  teacher, 
but  Dave  and  his  chums  had  voted  down  this  prop- 
osition. 

"  Let  us  treat  them  all  alike,"  said  Dave. 
"  Perhaps  Mr.  Haskers  thinks  he  is  doing  right." 

"  Yes,  and  if  we  leave  him  out  in  the  cold  he 
may  be  more  hard-hearted  than  ever,"  added  Gus, 
with  a  certain  amount  of  worldly  wisdom. 

Dave  carried  a  suit-casc  and  also  a  big  bundle, 
the  latter  filled  with  Christmas  presents  for  the 
folks  at  home.  Ben  was  similarly  loaded  down, 
and  so  were  the  others. 

"  Good-by,  everybody !  "  cried  our  hero,  as  he 
entered  the  carryall  sleigh.  "  Take  good  care  of 
the  school  until  we  come  back!  " 

"  Good-by!  "  was  the  answer.  "  Don't  eat  too 
much  turkey  while  you  are  gone !  "  And  then,  as 
the  sleigh  rolled  away  from  the  school  grounds, 
the  lads  to  leave  commenced  to  sing  the  favorite 
school  song,  sung  to  the  tune  of  "  Auld  Lang 
Syne": 

"  Oak  Hall  we  never  shall  forget, 

No  matter  where  we  roam; 
It  is  the  very  best  of  schools. 

To  us  it's  just  like  home! 
Then  give  three  cheers,  and  let  them  ring 

Throughout  this  world  so  wide. 
To  let  the  people  know  that  we 

Elect  to  here  abide!" 


56        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  That's  the  stuff !  "  cried  Roger,  and  then  com- 
menced to  toot  loudly  on  a  tin  horn  he  carried, 
and  many  others  made  a  din. 

At  the  depot  the  boys  had  to  wait  a  little  while. 
But  presently  the  train  came  along  and  they  got 
aboard.  Dave  and  Ben  found  a  seat  near  the 
middle  of  the  car  and  Nat  Poole  sat  close  by  them. 
He  acted  as  if  he  wanted  to  talk,  but  the  others 
gave  him  little  encouragement. 

"  Nat  has  something  on  his  mind,  I'll  wager  a 
cookie,"  whispered  Ben  .o  Dave. 

"  Well,  if  he  has,  he  need  not  bother  us  with 
it,"  was  Dave's  reply.  "  I  am  done  with  him — 
I  told  him  that  some  time  ago." 

The  train  rolled  on  and  when  near  the  Junction, 
where  the  boys  had  to  change  to  the  main  line,  a 
couple  in  front  of  Ben  and  Dave  got  up,  leaving 
the  seat  vacant.  At  once  Nat  Poole  took  the 
seat,  at  first,  however,  turning  it  over,  so  that  he 
might  face  the  other  Oak  Hall  students. 

"  I  want  to  talk  to  you,  Dave  Porter,"  he  said, 
in  a  low  and  somewhat  ugly  voice.  "  I  want  you 
to  give  an  account  of  yourself." 

"Give  an  account  of  myself?"  queried  Dave, 
in  some  astonishment,  for  he  had  not  expected 
such  an  opening  from  Nat.  "  What  do  you 
mean?  " 

"  You  know  well  enough  what  I  mean," 
cried   the    other   boy,    and    now    it    was   plainly 


GOOD-BY  TO  OAK  HALL  57 

to  be  seen  that  his  anger  was  rising.  "  You  can 
blacken  your  own  character  all  you  please  but  I 
won't  have  you  blackening  mine!  If  you  don't 
confess  to  what  you've  done,  and  straighten  mat- 
ters out,  as  soon  as  we  get  to  Crumville,  I  am 
going  to  ask  my  father  to  have  you  arrested  I  " 


CHAPTER  VII 

NAT  POOLE's  revelation 

Both  Dave  and  Ben  stared  in  astonishment 
at  the  son  of  the  money-lender  of  Crumville.  Nat 
was  highly  indignant,  but  the  reason  for  this  was 
a  complete  mystery  to  the  other  lads. 

"  Blacken  your  character? "  repeated  Dave. 
"Nat,  what  are  you  talking  about?" 

"  You  know  well  enough." 

"  I  do  not." 

"And  I  say  you  do!"  blustered  the  bully. 
"  You  can't  crawl  out  of  it.  I've  followed  the 
thing  up  and  I've  got  the  evidence  against  you, 
and  against  Roger  Morr,  too.  I  was  going  to 
speak  to  Doctor  Clay  about  it,  but  I  know  he'd 
side  with  you  and  smooth  it  over — he  always  does. 
But  if  I  tell  my  father,  you'll  find  you  have  a  dif- 
ferent man  to  deal  with !  " 

Nat  spoke  in  a  high-pitched  voice  that  drew 
the  attention  of  half  a  dozen  men  and  women 
in  the  car.     Ben  was  greatly  annoyed. 

"  Say,  Nat,  don't  make  a  public  exhibition  of 
yourself,"  he  said,  in  a  low  tone.  "  If  you've  got 

58 


NAT  POOLE'S  REVELATION  59 

anything  against  Dave,  why  don't  you  wait  until 
we  are  alone  ?  " 

"I  don't  have  to  wait,"  answered  Nat,  as 
loudly  as  ever.  "  I  am  going  to  settle  this  thing 
right  now." 

Fortunately  the  train  rolled  up  to  the  Junction 
depot  at  this  moment  and  everybody,  including 
the  boys,  left  the  car.  Several  gazed  curiously  at 
Dave  and  Nat,  and,  seeing  this,  Ben  led  the  others 
to  the  end  of  the  platform.  Here  there  was  a 
freight  room,  just  then  deserted. 

"  Come  on  in  here,  and  then,  Nat,  you  can 
spout  all  you  please,"  said  Ben. 

"You  ain't  going  to  catch  me  in  a  corner!" 
cried  the  bully,  in  some  alarm. 

"  It  isn't  that,  Nat.  I  don't  want  you  to  make 
a  fool  of  yourself  in  front  of  the  whole  crowd. 
See  how  everybody  is  staring  at  you." 

"  Humph  I  Let  them  stare,"  muttered  the 
bully;  yet  he  followed  Ben  and  Dave  into  the 
freight  room,  and  Ben  stood  at  the  doorway,  so 
that  no  outsiders  might  come  in.  One  boy  tried 
to  get  in,  thinking  possibly  to  see  a  fight,  but  Ben 
told  him  to  "  fly  on,  son,"  and  the  lad  promptly 
disappeared. 

"  Now  then,  Nat,  tell  me  what  you  are  driving 
at,"  said  Dave,  as  calmly  as  he  could,  for  he  saw 
that  the  money-lender's  son  was  growing  more 
enraged  every  minute. 


6o        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

*'  I  don't  have  to  tell  you,  Dave  Porter ;  you 
know  all  about  it." 

**  I  tell  you  I  don't — I  haven't  the  least  idea 
what  you  are  driving  at." 

"  Maybe  you'll  deny  that  you  were  at  Leesburgh 
last  week." 

"Leesburgh?'* 

"  Yes,  Leesburgh,  at  Sampson's  Hotel,  and  at 
the  Arcade  moving-picture  and  vaudeville  show," 
and  as  he  uttered  the  words  Nat  fairly  glared  into 
the  face  of  our  hero. 

"  I  haven't  been  near  Leesburgh  for  several 
months — ^not  since  a  crowd  of  us  went  there  to  a 
football  game." 

"Humph!    You  expect  me  to  believe  that?" 

**  Believe  it  or  not,  it  is  true." 

"  You  can't  pull  the  wool  over  my  eyes,  Dave 
Porter!  I  know  you  were  at  Leesburgh  last 
week  Wednesday,  you  and  Roger  Morr.  And  I 
know  you  went  to  Sampson's  Hotel  and  registered 
in  my  name  and  then  cut  up  like  a  rowdy  there, 
in  the  pool-room,  and  got  thrown  out,  and  I  know 
you  and  Roger  Morr  went  to  the  Arcade  and  made 
a  fuss  there,  and  got  thrown  out  again,  but  not 
until  you  had  given  my  name  and  the  name  of 
Gus  Plum.  Gus  may  forgive  you  for  it,  and 
think  it  only  a  joke.  But  I'll  not  do  it,  I  can  tell 
you  thatl    You  have  got  to  write  a  letter  to  the 


NAT  POOLE'S  REVELATION  6i 

owner  of  that  hotel  and  to  the  theater  manager 
and  explain  things,  and  you  and  Roger  Morr 
have  got  to  beg  my  pardon.  And  if  you  don't, 
as  I  said  before,  I'll  tell  my  father  and  get  him 
to  have  you  arrested."  And  now  Nat  was  so 
excited  he  moved  from  one  foot  to  the  other  and 
shook  his  fist  in  the  air. 

To  the  bully's  surprise  Dave  did  not  get  ex- 
cited. On  the  contrary,  our  hero's  face  showed 
something  that  was  akin  to  a  faint  smile.  Ben 
saw  it  and  wondered  at  it. 

"  Say,  you  needn't  laugh  at  me  1  "  howled  Nat, 
noting  the  look.  "  Before  I  get  through  with  you, 
you'll  find  it  no  laughing  matter." 

"  I  am  not  laughing  at  you,  Nat." 

"  Well,  do  you  admit  that  what  I've  said  is 
true?" 

"  No;  on  the  contrary,  I  say  it  is  false,  every 
word  of  it.  Did  you  say  this  happened  last 
Wednesday?" 

"  I  did." 

"  Both  Roger  Morr  and  I  were  at  the  school 
all  day  Wednesday.  During  the  day  I  attended 
all  my  classes,  and  after  school  I  went  to  my 
room,  along  with  Polly  Vane,  Luke  Watson,  and 
Sam  Day,  and  the  three  of  us  wrote  on  the  essays 
we  had  to  hand  in  Thursday.  After  supper  wc 
went  down  to  the  gym  for  about  half  an  hour, 


62       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

and  then  went  back  to  our  dormitory.  And,  come 
to  think  of  it,  you  saw  us  there,"  added  Dave  sud- 
denly. 

"  I  saw  you  ?  " 

"  You  certainly  did.  You  came  to  the  door  and 
asked  Luke  Watson  for  a  Latin  book;  don't  you 
remember?  Luke  got  it  out  of  his  bureau.  We 
were  all  at  the  big  table.  Sam  Day  flipped  a  but- 
ton at  you  and  it  hit  you  in  the  chin." 

At  these  unexpected  words  the  face  of  the 
money-lender's  son  fell. 

"Was  that — er — was  that  Wednesday?"  he 
faltered. 

"  It  certainly  was,  for  we  had  to  hand  the 
essays  in  Thursday  and  we  were  all  working  like 
beavers  on  them." 

"  Nat,  what  Dave  says  is  absolutely  true — I 
know  he  wasn't  near  Leesburgh  last  week,  for  I 
was  with  him  every  day  and  every  evening,"  said 
Ben. 

"  But  I  got  the  word  from  some  fellows  in 
Leesburgh.  They  followed  you  from  the  hotel  to 
the  show  and  talked  to  you  afterwards,  and  they 
said  you  told  them  your  name  was  Porter,  and  the 
other  chap  said  his  name  was  Morr.  They  said 
you  gave  the  names  of  Poole  and  Plum  just  to 
keep  your  real  identity  hidden." 

"Well,  I  am  not  guilty,  Nat;  I  give  you  my 
word  of  honor  on  it." 


NAT  POOLE'S  REVELATION  63 

"  But — but — if  you  aren't  guilty  how  is  it  those 
fellows  got  your  name  and  that  of  Morr?  "  asked 
the  money-lender's  son,  not  knowing  what  else  to 
say. 

"  I  think  I  can  explain  it,  Nat.  The  same  fel- 
lows who  did  that  are  annoying  me  in  other  ways. 
But  I'll  not  explain  unless  you  will  give  me  your 
word  of  honor  to  keep  it  a  secret,  at  least  for  the 
present." 

"A  secret,  why?" 

"  Because  I  don't  want  the  thing  talked  about 
in  public.  The  more  you  talk  about  such  things 
the  worse  off  you  are.  Let  me  tell  you  that  I  have 
suffered  more  than  you  have,  and  other  folks  have 
suffered  too." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  some  other  fellows 
did  this  and  gave  my  name  and  Plum's  first  and 
yours  and  Morr's  afterwards?"  asked  Nat, 
curiously. 

"Exactly." 

"Why?" 

"  For  a  twofold  reason ;  first  to  blacken  your 
character  and  that  of  Plum,  and,  secondly,  to 
cause  trouble  between  all  of  us." 

"  What  fellows  would  be  mean  enough  to  do 
that?" 

"  Two  fellows  who  used  to  be  your  friends, 
but  who  have  had  to  run  away,  to  keep  from 
being  arrested." 


64        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Say,  you  don't  mean  Link  Merwell  and  Nick 
Jasniff  1  "  burst  out  the  money-lender's  son. 

"  Those  are  the  chaps  I  do  mean,  Nat." 

*'  But  I  thought  they  had  left  these  parts. 
They  were  in  Crumville,  I  know,"  and  now  the 
bully  looked  knowingly  at  our  hero. 

"  You  have  heard  the  reports  from  home 
then  ? "  asked  Dave,  and  he  felt  his  face 
burn. 

"  Sure." 

"  Nat,  those  reports  are  all  false — as  false  as 
this  report  of  your  doings  at  Leesburgh.  They 
are  gotten  up  by  Jasniff  and  Merwell  solely  to  in- 
jure my  friends  and  my  family  and  me.  My  sis- 
ter and  Jessie  Wadsworth  would  refuse  to  even 
recognize  those  fellows,  much  less  go  auto-riding 
with  them.  Let  me  tell  you  something."  And  in 
as  few  words  as  possible  our  hero  related  how 
things  had  been  sent  to  him  and  his  friends  with- 
out being  ordered  by  them,  and  df  the  other 
trouble  Jasniff  and  Merwell  were  causing.  The 
money-lender's  son  was  incredulous  at  first,  but 
gradually  his  face  relaxed. 

"And  is  all  that  really  so?"  he  asked,  at 
last. 

"  Every  word  is  absolutely  true,"  answered 
Dave. 

"Then  Nick  and  Link  ought  to  be  in  jaill  " 
burst  out  Nat.    "  It's  an  outrage  to  let  them  do 


NAT  POOLE'S  REVELATION  65 

such  things.  Why  don't  you  have  'em  locked  up — 
that  is  what  I'd  do !  " 

"  We've  got  to  catch  them  first." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  are  trying  to  do 
that?" 

"We  are." 

"  Well,  you  catch  *em,  and  if  you  want  me  to 
appear  against  'em,  I'll  do  it — and  I'll  catch  'em 
myself  if  I  can." 

There  was  a  pause,  and  Nat  started  for  the 
doorway  of  the  freight  room.  But  Ben  still  barred 
the  way. 

"  Nat,  don't  you  think  you  were  rather  hasty 
in  accusing  Dave?"  he  asked,  bluntly. 

"  Well — er — maybe  I  was,"  answered  the 
money-lender's  son,  growing  a  bit  red. 

"  Oh,  let  it  pass,"  said  Dave.  "  I  might  have 
been  worked  up  myself,  if  I  had  been  in  Nat's 
place." 

"  Here  comes  the  train — ^we  don't  want  to  miss 
it,"  cried  the  money-lender's  son,  and  he  showed 
that  he  was  glad  to  close  the  interview.  "  Re- 
member, if  you  catch  those  fellows,  I'll  testify 
against  'em  1  "  he  called  over  his  shoulder  as  he 
pushed  through  the  doorway. 

"  The  same  old  Nat,  never  willing  to  acknowl- 
edge himself  in  the  wrong,"  was  Ben's  comment, 
as  he  and  Dave  ran  for  the  car  steps.  The  other 
boy  had  lost  himself  in  the  waiting  crowd  and 


66        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

got  into  another  car,  and  they  did  not  see  him 
again  until  Crumville  was  reached,  and  even  then 
he  did  not  speak  to  them. 

The  snow  was  coming  down  lightly  when  Dave 
and  Ben  alighted,  baggage  and  bundles  in  hand, 
for  they  had  not  risked  checking  anything  in  such 
a  crowd.  Ben's  father  was  on  hand  to  greet  him, 
and  close  at  hand  stood  the  Wadsworth  family 
sleigh,  with  Laura  and  Jessie  on  the  rear  seat. 
The  driver  came  to  take  the  suit-case  and  Dave's 
bundle,  grinning  a  welcome  as  he  did  so. 

"  There's  Dave !  "  cried  Jessie,  as  soon  as  he 
appeared.     "  Isn't  he  growing  tall !  "  she  added. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  sister.  "Dave!"  she 
called. 

"  Here  we  are  again !  "  he  cried  with  a  bright 
smile,  and  shook  hands.  "  I  brought  you  a  snow- 
storm for  a  change." 

"  I  like  snow  for  Christmas,"  answered  Jessie. 
She  was  blushing,  for  Dave  had  given  her  hand 
an  extra  tight  squeeze. 

"How  are  the  folks?" 

"  All  very  well,"  answered  Laura.  "  What 
have  you  in  that  big  bundle  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that's  a  secret,  sis,"  he  returned. 

"  Christmas  presents !  "  cried  the  sister.  "  Jes- 
sie, let  us  open  the  bundle  right  away."  And  she 
made  a  playful  reach  for  it. 

"  Not  to-day — that  belongs  to  Santa  Claus  1  " 


NAT  POOLE'S  REVELATION  6/ 

cried  the  brother,  holding  the  bundle  out  of  reach. 
"  My,  but  this  town  looks  good  to  me !  "  he  added, 
as  he  looked  around  and  waved  his  hand  to  Mr. 
Basswood.  Then  Ben  took  a  moment  to  run  up 
and  greet  the  girls. 

"  You  must  come  over,  Ben,"  said  Laura. 

"  Why,  yes,  by  all  means,"  added  Jessie,  and 
Ben  said  he  would.  Then  he  rejoined  his  father, 
and  Dave  got  into  the  sleigh,  being  careful  to  keep 
his  big  bundle  on  his  lap,  where  the  girls  could 
not  "  poke  a  hole  into  it  to  peek,"  as  he  put  it. 
There  was  a  flourish  of  the  whip,  and  the  elegant 
turnout,  with  its  well-matched  black  horses,  started 
in  the  direction  of  the  Wadsworth  mansion. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A  MERRY  CHRISTMAS 

As  MY  old  readers  know,  the  Wadsworth  fam- 
ily and  the  Porters  all  lived  together,  for  when 
Dave  found  his  folks  and  brought  them  to  Crum- 
ville,  the  rich  jewelry  manufacturer  and  his  wife 
could  not  bear  to  think  of  separating  from  the 
boy  who  had  saved  their  daughter  from  being 
burned  to  death.  They  loved  Dave  almost  as  a 
son,  and  it  was  their  proposal  that  the  Porters 
make  the  big  mansion  their  home.  As  Dave's 
father  was  a  widower  and  his  brother  Dunston 
was  a  bachelor,  they  readily  agreed  to  this,  pro- 
vided they  were  allowed  to  share  the  expenses. 
With  the  two  families  was  old  Caspar  Potts,  who 
spent  most  of  his  time  in  the  library,  cataloguing 
the  books,  keeping  track  of  the  magazines,  and 
writing  a  volume  on  South  American  history. 

With  a  merry  jingling  of  the  bells,  the  family 
sleigh  drove  into  the  spacious  grounds.  As  it 
rounded  the  driveway  and  came  to  a  halt  at  the 
front  piazza  the  door  opened  and  Dave's  father 
came  out,  followed  by  Dunston  Porter. 

"  Hello,   Dad !  "  cried  the  son,  joyously,  and 

68 


A  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  69 

made  a  flying  leap  from  the  sleigh.  "  How  are 
you?  "  And  then  he  shook  hands  with  his  parent 
and  with  his  uncle — that  same  uncle  whom  he  so 
strongly  resembled, — a  resemblance  that  had  been 
the  means  of  bringing  the  pair  together. 

"  Dave,  my  son  1 "  said  Mr.  Porter,  as  he 
smiled  a  welcome. 

"  Getting  bigger  every  day,  Davy  I  "  was  Uncle 
Dunston's  comment.  "  Before  you  know  it,  you'll 
be  taller  than  I  am !  "  And  he  gave  his  nephew 
a  hand-clasp  that  made  Dave  wince. 

"  Oh,  he's  getting  awfully  tall,  I  said  so  as  soon 
as  I  saw  him,"  remarked  Jessie,  as  she,  too, 
alighted,  followed  by  Laura.  By  this  time  Dave 
was  in  the  hallway,  giving  Mrs.  Wadsworth  a 
big  hug  and  a  kiss.  When  he  had  first  known  her, 
Dave  had  been  a  little  afraid  of  Mrs.  Wads- 
worth,  she  was  such  a  lady,  but  now  this  was  past 
and  he  treated  her  as  she  loved  to  be  treated,  just 
as  if  he  were  her  son. 

"  Aren't  you  glad  I've  returned  to  torment 
you  ?  "  he  said,  as  he  gave  her  another  squeeze. 

"  Very  glad,  Dave,  very  glad  indeed !  "  she 
answered,  beaming  on  him.  "  I  don't  mind  the 
way  you  torment  me  in  the  least,"  and  then  she 
hurried  off,  to  make  sure  that  the  dinner  ordered 
in  honor  of  Dave's  home-coming  should  be  prop- 
erly served. 

In  the  library  doorway  stood  Caspar  Potts,  his 


70        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

hair  now  as  white  as  snow.  He  came  forward 
and  laid  two  trembling  white  hands  in  those  of 
Dave. 

"  Dave,  my  boy  Dave  1  "  he  murmured,  and  his 
watery  eyes  fairly  glistened. 

"  Yes,  Professor,  your  boy,  always  your  boyl  " 
answered  Dave,  readily,  for  he  loved  the  old 
instructor  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart.  "  And 
how  is  the  history  getting  on  ?  " 

"  Fairly  well,  Dave.  I  have  nine  chapters  fin- 
ished." 

"Good I  Some  day,  when  it  is  finished,  I'll 
find  a  publisher  for  you;  and  then  you'll  be 
famous." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  Dave.  But  I  like 
to  write  on  the  book — and  the  research  work  is 
very  pleasant,  especially  in  such  pleasant  surround- 
ings," murmured  the  old  gentleman. 

Mr  Wadsworth  was  away  at  his  office,  but 
presently  he  came  back,  and  greeted  Dave  warmly, 
and  asked  about  the  school  and  his  chums.  Then, 
as  the  girls  went  off  to  get  ready  for  dinner,  the 
men  folks  and  Dave  went  into  the  library. 

"  Have  you  heard  anything  more  of  those  two 
young  rascals,  Merwell  and  Jasniff?"  questioned 
Mr.  Porter. 

"  Yes,  but  not  in  the  way  I'd  like,"  answered 
Dave,  and  told  of  what  Nat  Poole  had  had  to 


A  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  71 

say  and  of  what  had  occurred  at  Squirrel  Island. 
"  Have  you  heard  anything  here?  "  he  added. 

"  Did  the  girls  tell  you  anything?"  asked  his 
father. 

"  Not  a  word — they  didn't  have  a  chance,  for 
we  didn't  want  to  talk  before  Peter."  Peter  was 
the  driver  of  the  sleigh. 

"  I  see."  Mr.  Porter  mused  for  a  moment  and 
looked  at  Mr.  Wadsworth. 

"  Those  good-for-nothing  boys  have  done  a 
number  of  mean  things,"  said  the  jewelry  manu- 
facturer. "  They  have  circulated  many  reports, 
about  you  and  your  family,  and  about  me  and  my 
family.  They  must  be  very  bitter,  to  act  in  such 
a  fashion.  If  I  could  catch  them,  I'd  like  to  wring 
their  necks !  "  And  Oliver  Wadsworth  showed 
his  excitement  by  pacing  up  and  down  the  library. 

*'  Did  you  get  your  affairs  with  the  department 
stores  fixed  up  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  not  without  considerable  trouble." 

"  Have  Jasniff  and  Merwell  shown  themselves 
in  Crumville  lately?" 

"  Yes,  three  days  ago  they  followed  your  sister 
Laura  and  Jessie  to  a  church  fair  the  girls  at- 
tended. They  acted  in  such  a  rude  fashion  that 
both  of  the  girls  ran  all  the  way  home.  All  of 
us  went  out  to  look  for  them,  but  we  didn't  find 
them." 


72       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Oh,  if  I  had  only  been  at  that  fair  I  "  mur- 
mured Dave. 

"  What  could  you  have  done  against  two  of 
them?"  asked  his  uncle. 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  would  have  made  it  warm 
for  them — and  maybe  handed  them  over  to  the 
police." 

"  I  have  cautioned  the  girls  to  be  on  their 
guard,"  said  David  Porter.  "  And  you  must  be  on 
your  guard,  Dave.  It  is  not  wise  to  take  chances 
with  such  fellows  as  Jasniff  and  Merwell." 

**  I'll  keep  my  eyes  open  for  them,"  answered 
the  son. 

Dave  ran  up  to  his  room,  and  put  his  big  bun- 
dle away  in  a  corner  of  the  clothing  closet.  Then 
he  dressed  for  dinner.  As  he  came  out  he  met 
Jessie,  who  stood  on  the  landing  with  a  white 
carnation  in  her  hand. 

"  It's  for  your  buttonhole,"  she  said.  "  It*s 
the  largest  in  the  conservatory."  And  she  ad- 
justed it  skillfully.  He  watched  her  in  silence, 
and  when  she  had  finished  he  caught  her  by  both 
hands. 

"  Jessie,  I'm  so  glad  to  be  back — so  glad  to 
be  with  you  again  I  "  he  half  whispered. 

"Are  you  really,  Dave?"  she  returned,  and 
her  eyes  were  shining  like  stars. 

"  You  know  I  am ;  don't  you  ?  "  he  pleaded. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  in  a  low  voice.    And  then, 


A  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  73 

as  Laura  appeared,  she  added  hastily,  but  tenderly, 
"Tm  glad,  too!" 

It  was  a  large  and  happy  gathering  around  the 
dining-room  table,  with  Mr.  Wadsworth  at  the 
head,  and  Jessie  on  one  side  of  Dave  and  Laura 
on  the  other.  Professor  Potts  asked  the  blessing, 
and  then  followed  an  hour  of  good  cheer.  In 
honor  of  Dave's  home-coming  the  meal  was  an 
elaborate  one,  and  everybody  enjoyed  it  thor- 
oughly. As  nobody  wished  to  put  a  damper  on 
the  occasion,  nothing  was  said  about  their  enemies. 
Dave  told  some  funny  stories  about  Oak  Hall 
happenings,  and  had  the  girls  shrieking  with 
laughter,  and  Dunston  Porter  related  a  tale  or 
two  about  his  travels,  for  he  still  loved  to  roam 
as  of  yore. 

The  next  day — the  day  before  Christmas — it 
snowed  heavily.  But  the  young  folks  did  not  mind 
this  and  went  out  several  times,  to  do  the  last  of 
their  shopping.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  Peter 
brought  in  some  holly  wreaths  and  a  little  Christ- 
mas tree.  The  wreaths  were  placed  in  the  win- 
dows, each  with  a  big  bow  of  red  ribbon  attached, 
and  the  tree  was  decorated  with  candies  and  can- 
dles and  placed  on  the  table  in  the  living- 
room. 

All  the  young  folks  had  surprises  for  their 
parents  and  for  Professor  Potts.  There  was  a  set 
of  South  American  maps  for  the  old  professor, 


74       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

a  new  rifle  for  Dunston  Porter,  a  set  of  cyclo- 
pedias for  Mr.  Wadsworth,  a  cane  for  Dave's 
father,  and  a  beautiful  chocolate  urn  for  the  lady 
of  the  house. 

"  Merry  Christmas  I  "  was  the  cry  that  went 
the  rounds  the  next  morning,  and  then  such  a 
handshaking  and  such  a  gift-giving  and  receiving! 
Dave  had  a  new  pocketbook  for  Laura,  with  her 
monogram  in  silver,  and  a  cardcase  for  Mrs. 
Wadsworth.  For  Jessie  he  had  a  string  of  pearls, 
and  numerous  gifts  for  the  others  in  the  mansion. 
From  Laura  he  received  a  fine  book  on  hunting 
and  camping  out,  something  he  had  long  desired, 
while  Mrs.  Wadsworth  gave  him  some  silk  hand- 
kerchiefs. From  his  father  came  a  new  suit-case, 
one  with  a  traveler's  outfit  included,  and  from  his 
uncle  he  received  some  pictures,  to  hang  in  his 
den.  Mr.  Wadsworth  gave  him  a  beautiful  stick- 
pin, one  he  said  had  been  made  at  his  own 
works. 

But  the  gift  Dave  prized  most  of  all  was  a  little 
locket  that  Jessie  gave  him  for  his  watchchain. 
It  was  of  gold,  set  with  tiny  diamonds,  and  his 
monogram  was  on  the  back.  The  locket  opened 
and  had  a  place  in  it  for  two  pictures. 

"  You  must  put  Laura's  picture  in  there,"  said 
Jessie,  "  Laura's  and  your  father's." 

"  No,  I  have  them  already — in  my  watch  case," 
he  answered,  and  then,  as  nobody  was  near,  he 


A  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  7S 

went  on  in  a  whisper,  *'  I  want  your  picture  in 
this,  Jessie." 

"  Oh  I  "  she  murmured. 

"  Your  picture  on  one  side,  and  a  lock  of  your 
hair  on  the  other.  Without  those  I  won't  consider 
the  gift  complete." 

"Oh,  Dave,  don't  be  silly!" 

"  I'm  not  silly — I  mean  it,  Jessie.  You'll  give 
them  to  me,  won't  you,  before  I  go  back  to  Oak 
Hall?" 

"  Maybe.  I'll  see  how  you  behave  I  "  was  the 
answer,  and  then  just  as  Dave  started  to  catch  her 
by  the  arm,  she  ran  away  to  join  Laura.  But 
she  threw  him  a  smile  from  over  her  shoulder  that 
meant  a  great  deal  to  him. 

In  the  afternoon,  Ben  came  over,  with  his  young 
lady  cousin,  and  all  the  young  folks  went  sleigh- 
riding.  The  evening  was  spent  at  the  Wadsworth 
mansion  in  playing  games  and  in  singing  favorite 
songs.  Altogether  it  was  a  Christmas  to  be  long 
remembered. 

During  the  fall  Mr.  Wadsworth  had  been  busy, 
building  an  addition  to  his  jewelry  works,  and  on 
the  day  after  Christmas  Dave  went  over  to  the 
place  with  his  uncle,  to  look  around.  The  addi- 
tion covered  a  plot  nearly  a  hundred  feet  square 
and  was  two  stories  high. 

"  It  will  give  us  a  new  office  and  several  new 
departments,"  said  the  rich  manufacturer,  as  he 


76       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

showed  them  around.  "  When  everything  is 
finished  I  shall  have  one  of  the  most  up-to-date 
jewelry  works  in  this  part  of  the  country." 

"  Are  you  going  to  move  the  old  office  furniture 
into  this  new  place?"  asked  Dave,  noticing  some 
old  chairs  and  desks. 

"  For  the  present  we'll  have  to.  The  new  fur- 
niture won't  be  here  until  early  in  January." 

"What  about  your  safes?"  asked  Dave.  He 
remembered  the  big  but  old-fashioned  safes  that 
had  adorned  the  old  office. 

"  We  are  to  have  new  ones  in  about  sixty  days. 
I  wanted  them  at  once,  but  the  safe  company  was 
too  busy  to  rush  the  order.  I  wish  now  that  I 
had  those  safes,"  went  on  the  manufacturer,  in  a 
lower  voice,  so  that  even  the  clerks  near  by  might 
not  hear. 

"Why,  anything  unusual?"  questioned  Duns- 
ton  Porter,  curiously. 

"  I  took  that  order  to  reset  the  Carwith  dia- 
monds, that's  all." 

"Oh,  then  you  got  it,  didn't  you?"  went  on 
Dave's  uncle.  "  Were  they  willing  to  pay  the 
price?  " 

"  I  told  them  they  would  have  to  or  I  wouldn't 
touch  the  job." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  the  diamonds  arc 
worth?" 

"  They  were  bought  for  sixty  thousand  dollars. 


A  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  77 

At  the  present  value  of  such  gems,  I  should  say 
at  least  seventy-five  thousand  dollars." 

"  Phew !  And  the  settings  are  to  cost  eight 
thousand  dollars.  That  makes  a  pretty  valuable 
lot  of  jewelry,  Vm  thinking,"  was  Dunston  Por- 
ter's comment. 

"  You  are  right,  and  that  is  why  I  wish  I  had 
those  new  safes,"  added  Oliver  Wadsworth. 

"  Can't  you  keep  the  diamonds  in  some  safe 
deposit  vault?  " 

"  There  is  no  very  good  safe  deposit  place  in 
Crumville.  Besides,  I  must  have  the  gems  here, 
if  my  workmen  are  to  set  them  properly.  Of 
course,  I'll  keep  them  in  the  old  safes  when  they 
are  not  in  the  workshop." 

"  I  should  think  you'd  want  a  watchman  around 
with  such  diamonds  in  the  place,"  remarked  Dave. 

"  I  have  a  watchman — old  Tony  Wells,  who  is 
as  honest  as  they  make  'em.  But,  Dave,  I  don't 
want  you  to  mention  the  diamonds  to  anybody. 
The  fact  that  I  have  this  order  is  being  kept  a 
secret,"  went  on  Mr.  Wadsworth,  anxiously. 

"  I'll  not  say  a  word  to  anybody,"  answered 
our  hero. 

"  Don't  do  it — for  I  am  anxious  enough  about 
the  jewels  as  it  is.  I  shall  be  glad  when  the  order 
is  finished  and  the  gems  are  out  of  my  keeping. 
I  don't  want  any  outsider  to  know  I  have  them." 


CHAPTER  IX 

NAT  POOLE   GETS  CAUGHT 

In  the  middle  of  the  week  came  Phil  and 
Roger,  in  the  midst  of  another  snowstorm  that 
was  so  heavy  it  threatened  to  stall  the  train  in 
which  they  arrived.  Dave  went  to  the  station  to 
meet  them. 

"Say,  what  do  you  think?"  burst  out  Phil, 
while  shaking  hands. 

"  We  saw  Jasniff  and  Merwell  1 "  finished  the 
senator's  son. 

"  You  did!  "  ejaculated  Dave.    "  Where?  " 

"  On  our  train.  We  walked  through  the  cars 
at  Melton,  to  see  if  we  knew  anybody  aboard,  and 
there  were  the  pair  in  the  smoker,  smoking  cigar- 
ettes, as  big  as  life." 

"  Did  you  speak  to  them?  " 

"  Didn't  get  the  chance.  The  car  was  crowded, 
and  before  we  could  get  to  Jasniff  and  Merwell 
they  saw  us,  ran  down  the  aisle  the  other  way, 
and  got  off." 

"  Is  that  so?  Evidently  they  must  know  we 
are  on  their  track,"  said  Dave,  shaking  his  head 
gravely. 

78 


NAT  POOLE  GETS  CAUGHT  79 

"  I  wish  we  could  have  collared  'em,"  went  on 
the  shipowner's  son.  "  I'd  like  to  punch  their 
heads." 

"  Don't  do  it,  Phil.  If  you  ever  catch  them, 
call  an  officer  and  have  them  locked  up.  A  thrash- 
ing is  wasted  on  such  rascals." 

"  Do  you  know  some  more  about  them?  "  ques- 
tioned Roger,  quickly. 

"I  do."  And  then  Dave  related  what  Nat 
Poole  had  had  to  say,  and  also  told  about  how 
Laura  and  Jessie  had  been  scared  when  attending 
the  church  fair. 

"  You  are  right,  they  ought  to  be  locked  up," 
was  Roger's  comment. 

•  "  By  the  way,  did  you  hear  the  news  from  Oak 
Hall?  "  went  on  Phil,  as  they  drove  off  towards 
the   Wadsworth  mansion. 

"What  news?" 

"  Somehow  or  other,  the  storm  lifted  off  two 
of  the  skylights  from  the  roof  of  the  main  build- 
ing and  the  snow  got  in  the  garret  and  there  the 
heat  from  the  chimney  must  have  melted  it,  for  it 
ran  down — the  water  did — through  the  floor  and 
loosened  the  plaster  in  several  of  the  dormitories, 
including  ours.  I  understand  all  of  the  plaster  has 
got  to  come  down." 

"What  a  muss!" 

"  Yes,  and  it  is  going  to  take  several  weeks  to  fix 
it  up — they  couldn't  get  any  masons  right  away." 


8o       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Then  where  will  we  sleep  when  wc  go 
back?" 

"  I  don't  know.  I  understand  from  Shadow 
that  the  doctor  was  thinking  of  keeping  the  school 
closed  until  about  the  first  of  February." 

"  Say,  that  will  give  us  quite  a  holiday  I  "  ex- 
claimed Dave. 

"  For  which  all  of  us  will  be  profoundly  sorry," 
responded  Phil,  making  a  sober  face  and  winking 
one  eye. 

The  girls  greeted  the  newcomers  with  sincere 
pleasure. 

"  What  a  pity  Belle  Endicott  isn't  here,"  sighed 
Laura. 

"  So  it  is,"  answered  Jessie.  "  V^e'U  have  to 
do  what  we  can  to  make  up  for  her  absence." 

Two  days  later  it  cleared  off,  and  the  young 
folks  enjoyed  a  long  sleigh-ride.  Then  they  went 
skating,  and  on  New  Year's  Eve  attended  a  party 
given  at  Ben  Basswood's  house.  Besides  our 
friends,  Ben  had  invited  Sam  Day  and  Buster 
Beggs,  and  also  a  number  of  girls;  and  all  enjoyed 
themselves  hugely  until  after  midnight.  When 
the  clock  struck  twelve,  the  boys  and  girls  went 
outside  and  tooted  horns  and  rang  a  big  dinner- 
bell,  and  wished  each  other  and  everybody  else  "  A 
Happy  New  Year  I  " 

The  celebration  on  the  front  piazza  was  at  its 
height  when  suddenly  came  a  shower  of  snow- 


NAT  POOLE  GETS  CAUGHT  8i 

balls  from  a  near  street  comer.  One  snowball 
hit  Dave  in  the  shoulder  and  another  landed 
directly  on  Jessie's  neck,  causing  the  girl  to  cry 
out  in  mingled  pain  and  alarm. 

"  Hi !  who's  throwing  snowballs  1  "  exclaimed 
Roger,  and  then  came  another  volley,  and  he  was 
hit,  and  also  Laura  and  one  of  the  other  girls. 
At  once  the  girls  fled  into  the  house. 

"  Some  rowdies,  I  suppose,"  said  Phil.  "  I've 
half  a  mind  to  go  after  them." 

"  We  can't  without  our  hats  and  coats,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

Just  then  came  another  shower  of  snowballs 
and  Dave  was  hit  again.  This  was  too  much  for 
him,  and  despite  the  fact  that  he  was  bare-headed 
and  wore  a  fine  party  suit,  he  leaped  down  on  the 
sidewalk  and  started  for  the  corner.  Phil  and 
Roger  came  after  him.  Ben  rushed  into  the  hall- 
way, to  catch  up  two  of  his  father's  canes  and 
his  chums'  hats,  and  then  he  followed. 

Those  who  had  thrown  the  snowballs  had  not 
dreamed  of  being  attacked,  and  it  was  not  until 
Dave  was  almost  on  them  that  they  started  to  run. 
There  were  three  boys — two  rather  rough-looking 
characters.  The  third  was  well  dressed,  in  a  fur 
cap  and  overcoat  lined  with  fur. 

"  Nat  Poole !  "  cried  Dave,  when  he  got  close 
to  the  well-dressed  youth.  "  So  this  is  your  game, 
eh?    Because  Ben  didn't  see  fit  to  invite  you  to 


82        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

his  party,  you  think  it  smart  to  throw  snowballs 
at  the  girls !  " 

As  he  spoke  Dave  ran  closer  and  suddenly  gave 
the  money-lender's  son  a  shove  that  sent  him  back- 
wards in  the  snow. 

"  Hi,  you  let  me  alone !  "  burst  out  Nat,  in 
alarm.    "  It  ain't  fair  to  knock  me  down  I  " 

By  this  time  Dave's  chums  had  reached  the 
scene,  and  seeing  Nat  down  they  gave  their  atten- 
tion to  the  two  others.  They  saw  that  they  were 
roughs  who  hung  around  the  railroad  station  and 
the  saloons  of  Crumville.  Without  waiting,  Ben 
threw  a  cane  to  Roger  and  sailed  in,  and  the  sena- 
tor's son  followed.  Both  of  the  roughs  received 
several  severe  blows  and  were  then  glad  enough 
to  slink  away  in  the  darkness. 

When  Nat  got  up  he  was  thoroughly  angry. 
He  had  hired  the  roughs  to  help  him  and  now  they 
had  deserted  the  cause.    He  glared  at  Dave. 

"You  let  me  alone,  Dave  Porter  I "  he 
cried. 

"  Not  just  yet,  Nat,"  replied  our  hero,  and 
catching  up  a  handful  of  loose  snow,  he  forced  it 
down  inside  of  the  other's  collar.  Then  the  other 
lads  pitched  in,  too,  and  soon  Nat  found  himself 
down  once  more  and  all  but  covered  with  snow, 
which  got  down  his  neck,  in  his  ears  and  nose, 
and  even  into  his  mouth. 

"  Now  then,  don't  you  dare  to  throw  snowballs 


NAT  POOLE  GETS  CAUGHT  83 

at  the  girls  again  I  "  said  Dave  sternly.  "  It  was 
a  cowardly  thing  to  do,  and  you  know  it." 

"  If  you  do  it  again,  we'll  land  on  you  ten 
times  harder  than  we  did  just  now,"  added  Ben. 

"  And  don't  you  get  any  more  of  those  roughs 
to  take  a  hand,"  continued  Dave.  "  If  you  do, 
they'll  find  themselves  in  the  lock-up,  and  you'll 
be  there  to  keep  them  company." 

"You  just  waitl"  muttered  Nat,  wrathfuUy. 
"  I'll  fix  you  yet — you  see  if  I  don't  I  "  And  then 
he  turned  and  hurried  away,  but  not  in  the  direc- 
tion his  companions  had  taken.  He  wanted  to 
escape  them  if  possible,  for  he  had  promised  each 
a  dollar  for  aiding  him  and  he  was  now  in  no 
humor  to  hand  over  the  money.  But  at  another 
corner  the  roughs  caught  up  to  him  and  made  him 
pay  up,  and  this  added  to  his  disgust. 

When  Dave  and  the  others  got  back  to  the 
house  they  were  considerably  "  roughed  up,"  as 
Roger  expressed  it.  But  they  had  vanquished  the 
enemy  and  were  correspondingly  happy.  They 
found  that  the  girls  had  not  been  much  hurt,  for 
which  everybody  was  thankful. 

"  Maybe  they'll  lay  for  you  when  you  go 
home,"  whispered  Ben  to  Dave,  when  he  got  the 
chance. 

"  I  don't  think  they  will,"  answered  Dave. 
"  But  we'll  be  on  our  guard." 

"  Why  not  take  a  cane  or  two  with  you?  " 


84       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  We  can  do  that." 

When  it  came  time  to  go  home  the  girls  were 
somewhat  timid,  and  Jessie  said  she  could  tele- 
phone for  the  sleigh.  But,  as  it  was  a  bright, 
starry  night,  the  boys  said  they  would  rather  walk, 
and  Laura  said  the  same. 

In  spite  of  their  watchfulness,  the  boys  were 
full  of  fun,  and  soon  had  the  girls  laughing.  And 
if,  under  those  bright  stars,  Dave  said  some  rather 
sentimental  things  to  Jessie,  for  whom  he  had 
such  a  tender  regard,  who  can  blame  him? 

On  the  day  following  New  Year's  came  word 
from  Oak  Hall  that  the  school  would  not  open 
for  its  next  term  until  the  first  Monday  in 
February. 

"Say,  that  suits  me  down  to  the  ground  1*' 
cried  Phil. 

"  Well,  I'm  not  shedding  any  tears,"  answered 
Roger.  "  I  know  what  I'd  like  to  do — take  a 
trip  somewhere." 

"  I  don't  know  where  you'd  go  in  this  winter 
weather,"  said  Dave. 

"  Oh,  some  warm  climate — Bermuda,  or  some 
place  like  that." 

Another  day  slipped  by,  and  Dave  was  asked 
by  his  father  to  go  to  one  of  the  near-by  cities  on 
an  errand  of  importance.  He  had  to  go  to  a 
lawyer's  office  and  to  sevei^l  banks,  and  the  errand 
took  all  day.     For  company  he  took  Roger  with 


NAT  POOLE  GETS  CAUGHT  85 

him,  and  the  boys  did  not  get  back  to  Crumville 
until  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

"  Guess  they  thought  we  weren't  coming  at  all," 
said  Dave,  when  he  found  no  sleigh  awaiting  him. 
"  Well,  we  can  walk." 

"  Of  course  we  can  walk,"  answered  the  sena- 
tor's son.  "  I'll  be  glad  to  stretch  my  legs  after 
such  a  long  ride." 

"  Let  us  take  a  short  cut,"  went  on  Dave,  as 
they  left  the  depot.  "  I  know  a  path  that  leads 
almost  directly  to  our  place." 

"  All  right,  if  the  snow  isn't  too  deep,  Dave." 

"  It  can't  be  deep  on  the  path,  for  many  of  the 
men  who  work  at  the  Wadsworth  jewelry  place 
use  it.     It  runs  right  past  the  Wadsworth  works." 

"  Go  ahead  then." 

They  took  to  the  path,  which  led  past  the 
freight  depot  and  then  along  a  high  board  fence. 
They  turned  a  comer  of  the  fence,  and  crossed 
a  vacant  lot,  and  then  came  up  to  one  corner  of 
the  jewelry  works,  at  a  point  where  the  new  ad- 
dition was  located. 

"  Now,  here  we  are  at  the  works,"  said  Dave. 
"  It's  not  very  much  further  to  the  house." 

"  Pretty  quiet  around  here,  this  time  of  night," 
remarked  Roger,  as  he  paused  to  catch  his  breath, 
for  they  had  been  walking  fast.  "  There  doesn't 
seem  to  be  a  soul  in  sight." 

"  There   is  usually   a   watchman   around,    old 


86        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Tony  Wells,  an  army  veteran.  I  suppose  he  is 
inside  somewhere." 

"  There's  his  lantern  I  "  cried  the  senator's  son, 
as  a  flash  of  light  shone  from  one  of  the  windows. 
Hardly  had  he  spoken  when  the  light  disappeared, 
leaving  the  building  as  black  as  before. 

"  It  must  be  a  lonely  job,  guarding  such  a 
place,"  said  our  hero,  as  he  and  his  chum  resumed 
their  walk.  "  But  I  suppose  it  suits  Tony  Wells, 
and  he  is  glad  to  get  the  money  it  brings 
in." 

"  They  must  have  a  lot  of  valuable  jewelry 
there,  Dave." 

"  Oh,  yes,  they  have.  But  it  is  all  locked  up 
in  the  safes  at  night."  Dave  thought  of  the  Car- 
with  diamonds,  but  remembered  his  promise  not 
to  mention  them  to  anybody. 

As  the  boys  turned  another  comer  they  came 
face  to  face  with  a  fat  man,  who  was  struggling 
along  through  the  snow  carrying  two  heavy  bun- 
dles. 

"  Hello  1  "  cried  Dave.  "  How  are  you,  Mr. 
Rowell?" 

"  Bless  me  if  it  isn't  Dave  Porter  1  "  cried  Amos 
Rowell,  who  was  a  local  druggist.  "  Out  rather 
late,  aren't  you?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  So  am  I.  Had  to  visit  some  sick  folks  and 
I'm  carrying  home  some  of  their  washing.    Good- 


NAT  POOLE  GETS  CAUGHT  8^ 

night!  "  and  the  druggist  turned  down  one  road 
and  Dave  and  Roger  toolc  the  other. 

Inside  of  five  minutes  more  our  hero  and  his 
chum  were  at  the  entrance  to  the  Wadsworth 
mansion.  Just  as  they  were  mounting  the  steps, 
and  Dave  was  feeling  in  his  pocket  for  his  key, 
a  strange  rumble  reached  their  ears. 

"What  was  that?"  asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  I  don't  know,"  returned  Dave,  in  some 
alarm.  "  It  sounded  to  me  as  if  it  came  from 
the  direction  of  the  jewelry  works !  " 


CHAPTER  X 

WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  JEWELRY  WORKS 

"  The  jewelry  works  ?  "  repeated  Roger. 

"  Yes.    What  did  it  sound  like  to  you?  " 

"  Why,  like  a  blast  of  some  kind.  Maybe  it 
was  at  the  railroad." 

"  They  don't  work  on  the  railroad  at  night — 
especially  in  this  cold  weather,  Roger.  No,  it 
was  something  else." 

Both  boys  halted  on  the  piazza  and  listened. 
But  not  another  sound  out  of  the  ordinary  reached 
their  ears. 

"  Might  as  well  go  in — it's  getting  pretty  cold," 
said  the  senator's  son. 

Dave  unlocked  the  door  and  they  entered  the 
mansion.  A  dim  light  was  burning  in  the  hall- 
way. While  they  were  taking  off  their  caps  and 
coats  Dave's  father  appearea  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs. 

"  Got  back  safely,  did  you?  "  he  questioned. 

"Yes,  dad;  and  everything  in  the  city  was  all 
right,"  answered  the  son.  "  I'll  bring  the  pack- 
age up  to  you." 

"  Never  mind — I'll  come  down  and  put  it  in 


AT  THE  JEWELRY  WORKS  89 

the  safe,"  answered  Mr.  Porter.  "  By  the  way," 
he  went  on,  "  what  was  that  strange  noise  I  just 
heard?" 

"  That  Is  what  we  were  wondering,"  said 
Roger.  "  It  sounded  like  a  blast  of  dynamite  Co 
me. 

*'  Maybe  something  blew  up  at  the  powder 
works  at  Fenwood,"  suggested  Dave.  The  works 
in  question  were  fifteen  miles  away. 

"  If  it  did,  we'll  hear  about  it  in  the  morning," 
returned  Mr.  Porter,  as  he  took  the  package  Dave 
gave  him  and  disappeared  into  the  library,  turn- 
ing on  the  electric  light  as  he  did  so. 

The  boys  went  upstairs  and  started  to  undress. 
Phil  had  been  asleep,  but  roused  up  at  their  en- 
trance. The  boys  occupied  a  large  chamber,  with 
two  double  beds  in  it,  for  they  loved  to  be  to- 
gether, as  at  school. 

"  Listen  to  that !  "  cried  Dave,  as  he  was  un- 
lacing a  shoe. 

"  It's  the  telephone  downstairs !  "  cried  Phil. 
"My,  but  it's  ringing  to  beat  the  bandl"  he 
added,  as  the  bell  continued  to  sound  its 
call. 

The  boys  heard  Mr.  Porter  leave  the  library 
and  go  to  the  telephone,  which  was  on  a  table 
in  an  alcove.    He  took  down  the  receiver. 

"  Yes !  yes  I  "  the  boys  heard  him  say.  Then 
followed  a  pause.    "  You  don't  mean  it  I    When, 


90        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

just  now  ?  Was  that  the  noise  we  heard  ?  Where 
did  they  go  to?  Wait,  I'll  call  Mr.  Wadsworth. 
What's  that?  Hurry  1  "  Then  followed  another 
pause.  "  Cut  off  1  "  they  heard  Mr.  Porter  mut- 
ter. 

"  Something  is  wrong  I  "  murmured  Dave. 

Mr.  Porter  came  bounding  up  the  stairs  two 
steps  at  a  time.  Dave  and  the  other  boys  met  him 
in  the  hallway. 

"  What  is  it,  Dad?  "  asked  the  son. 

"  Robbers — at  the  jewelry  works  1  "  panted 
David  Porter.  "  I  must  notify  Mr.  Wads- 
worth  1  "  And  he  ran  to  a  near-by  door  and 
pounded  on  it. 

"What  is  it?"  came  sleepily  from  the  rich 
manufacturer.  He  had  heard  nothing  of  the  tele- 
phone call,  being  down  deep  in  the  covers  because 
of  the  cold. 

*'  Mr.  Wadsworth,  get  up,  get  up  instantly  1  '* 
cried  Mr.  Porter.  "  You  are  wanted  at  the 
jewelry  works.  I  just  got  something  of  a  mes- 
sage from  your  watchman.  Some  robbers  have 
blown  open  your  safes  and  they  attacked  the  man, 
but  he  got  away  long  enough  to  telephone.  But 
then  they  attacked  him  again,  while  he  was  talk- 
ing to  me  I  We'll  have  to  get  down  there  at 
once !  " 

"Roger,  did  you  hear  that?"  gasped  Dave. 
"  That's  the  noise  we  heard  1  " 


AT  THE  JEWELRY  WORKS  91 

"  Yes,  and  they  attacked  the  watchman,"  re- 
sponded the  senator's  son. 

"  I'm  going  back  there,"  went  on  Dave.  "  The 
others  will  have  to  stop  and  dress.  Maybe  we 
can  catch  those  rascals." 

"  Yes,  and  save  the  watchman,  Dave  I  " 

By  this  time  Mr.  Wadsworth  had  appeared, 
in  a  bath-robe,  and  Dunston  Porter  also  showed 
himself.  Dave  slipped  on  his  shoe  again  and 
fairly  threw  himself  into  his  coat,  and  Roger 
also  rearranged  his  toilet. 

"  Wait— I'll  go  with  you!  "  cried  Phil. 

"  Can't  wait,  Phil — every  second  is  precious  1  " 
answered  our  hero.  "  You  can  follow  with  the 
men." 

"  Take  the  gun,  or  a  pistol — ^you  may  need  it," 
urged  the  shipowner's  son,  as  he  started  to  dress. 

In  a  corner  stood  Dave's  double-barreled  shot- 
gun loaded.  He  took  it  up.  Roger  looked 
around  the  room,  saw  a  baseball  bat  in  another 
corner,  and  took  that.  Then  the  boys  ran  out  into 
the  hallway,  where  the  electric  lights  were  now 
turned  on  full.  The  whole  house  was  in  a  hub- 
bub. 

"  We  are  dressed  and  we'll  go  right  down  to 
the  works,"  said  Dave.  "  I  heard  what  father 
said,  Mr.  Wadsworth.  We'll  help  Tony  Wells, 
if  we  can."  And  before  anybody  could  stop  him, 
he  was  out  of  the  house,  with  Roger  at  his  heels. 


92        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Be  careful,  Dave !  "  shouted  his  uncle  after 
him.  *'  Those  robbers  may  be  desperate  char- 
acters." 

"  All  right,  Uncle  Dunston,  I'll  watch  out." 

"  If  you  chance  to  see  a  policeman,  take  him 
along.  I'll  come  as  soon  as  I  can  get  some  cloth- 
ing on." 

Tired  though  they  werf ,  the  two  boys  ran  all 
the  distance  to  the  jewelry  works.  When  they  got 
there  they  found  everything  as  dark  and  as  silent 
as  before.     They  had  met  nobody. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  get  in?  "  asked  Roger, 
as  they  came  to  a  halt  before  the  main  door. 

Dave  tried  the  door,  to  find  it  locked.  "  Let 
us  walk  around.  The  thieves  may  be  in  hiding 
somewhere,"  he  suggested. 

They  made  the  circuit  of  the  works,  once  fall- 
ing into  a  hole  filled  with  snow.  Nothing  unusual 
met  their  eyes,  and  each  gazed  questioningly  at 
the  other. 

"  It  can't  be  a  joke,  can  it?  "  suggested  Roger. 
"  Nat  Poole  might " 

"  No,  I'm  sure  it  was  no  joke,'*  broke  in  our 
hero.  "Wait,  I'll  try  that  little  side-door.  I 
think  that  is  the  one  the  watchman  generally 
uses." 

He  ran  to  the  door  in  question  and  pushed  upon 
it.    It  gave  way,  and  with  caution  he  entered  the 


AT  THE  JEWELRY  WORKS  93 

building.  All  was  so  dark  he  could  see  absolutely 
nothing. 

"  I  guess  we'll  have  to  make  a  light,"  he  said, 
as  his  chum  followed  him.  "  Wait  till  I  see  if 
I  have  some  matches." 

"  Here  are  some,"  answered  Roger.  "  Wait, 
I'll  strike  a  light.  You  keep  hold  of  that  gun — 
and  be  ready  to  use  it,  if  you  have  to!  " 

The  senator's  son  struck  one  of  the  matches  and 
held  it  aloft.  By  its  faint  rays  the  boys  were 
able  to  see  some  distance  into  the  workshop  into 
which  the  doorway  opened.  Only  machines  and 
work-benches  met  their  gaze.  On  a  nail  hung  a 
lantern. 

"We'll  light  this,"  said  Dave,  taking  the 
lantern  down.  "  You  can  carry  it,  and  I'll  keep 
the  gun  handy." 

With  lantern  and  gun  held  out  before  them, 
and  with  their  hearts  beating  wildly,  the  two 
youths  walked  cautiously  through  the  workshop. 
They  had  to  pass  through  two  rooms  before  they 
reached  the  entrance  to  the  offices.  The  light 
cast  curious  shadows  on  the  walls  and  the  ma- 
chinery, and  more  than  once  the  lads  fancied  they 
saw  something  moving.  But  each  alarm  proved 
false. 

"Why  not  call  the  watchman?"  suggested 
Roger,  just  before  entering  the  offices. 


94       DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

They  raised  their  voices  and  then  raised  them 
again.     But  no  answer  came  back. 

"Would  he  telephone  from  the  office?"  asked 
the  senator's  son. 

"  I  suppose  so — although  there  is  another  'phone 
in  the  shipping-room." 

The  boys  had  now  entered  one  of  the  new 
offices.  Just  beyond  was  the  old  office,  with  the 
two  old  safes,  standing  side  by  side. 

"  Look !  "  cried  Roger,  in  dismay. 

There  was  no  need  to  utter  the  cry,  for  Dave 
was  himself  staring  at  the  scene  before  him.  The 
old  office  was  in  dire  confusion,  chairs  and  desks 
being  cast  in  various  directions.  All  of  the  win- 
dows were  broken  out  and  through  these  the  chill 
night  air  was  entering. 

But  what  interested  the  boys  most  of  all  was 
the  appearance  of  the  two  old  safes.  The  door 
to  each  had  been  blown  asunder  and  lay  in  a 
twisted  mass  on  the  floor.  On  top  of  the  doors 
lay  a  number  of  boxes  and  drawers  that  belonged 
in  the  safes.  Mingling  with  the  wreckage  were 
pieces  of  gold  and  silver  plate,  and  also  gold  and 
silver  knives,  forks,  and  spoons. 

"  Here  is  where  that  explosion  came  from," 
said  Dave.  "  What  a  pity  it  didn't  happen  when 
we  were  in  front  of  the  works!  We  might  have 
caught  the  rascals  red-handed  I  " 


AT  THE  JEWELRY  WORKS  95 

"  Listen !  I  hear  somebody  now !  "  exclaimed 
Roger.    "  Maybe  they  are  coming  back." 

"No,  that  is  my  father  who  is  calling  I"  re- 
plied our  hero.     "  I'll  let  him  in." 

He  ran  to  the  office  door,  and  finding  a  key  in 
the  lock,  opened  it.  Roger  swung  the  lantern,  and 
soon  Dave's  father  and  his  uncle  came  up,  fol- 
lowed by  Mr.  Wadsworth,  who,  being  somewhat 
portly,  could  not  run  so  fast,  and  had  to  be 
assisted  by  Phil. 

"What  hav^  they  done?"  gasped  the  manu- 
facturer. "  Tell  me  quickly !  Did  they  blow  open 
the  safes?"  He  was  so  agitated  that  he  could 
scarcely  speak. 

The  boys  did  not  reply,  for  there  was  no  need. 
Mr.  Wadsworth  gave  one  look  and  then  sank 
down  on  a  desk,  too  overcome  to  make  another 
move. 

"  Did  you  see  anything  of  the  robbers,  Dave?  " 
asked  his  father. 

"  Not  a  thing." 

"And  where  is  the  watchman?" 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  Strange,  he  must  be  somewhere  around.  He 
told  me  of  the  robbery  and  then  he  said  that  they 
were  coming  after  him.  Then  the  message  was 
suddenly  cut  off." 

"  It  looks  like  foul  play  to  me,"  said  Dunston 


96        DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Porter,  seriously.  "  We  had  better  light  up  and 
investigate  thoroughly." 

He  walked  to  a  switchboard  on  the  wall  and 
began  to  experiment.  Presently  the  electric  lights 
in  the  offices  flashed  up  and  then  some  of  those 
in  the  workshops  were  turned  on. 

By  this  time  Oliver  Wadsworth  was  in  front  of 
one  of  the  shattered  safes.  An  inner  door,  some- 
what bent,  was  swung  shut.  W^ith  trembling  fin- 
gers the  manufacturer  pulled  the  door  open  and 
felt  into  the  compartment  beyond. 

"  Gone  1  gone  1  "  the  others  heard  him  mutter 
hoarsely.     "  Gone  1  " 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Mr.  Porter. 

"  The  casket — the  Carwith  casket  is  gone  1  " 
And  Mr.  Wadsworth  looked  ready  to  faint  as  he 
spoke. 

"  Were  the  jewels  in  it?  "  questioned  Mr.  Por- 
ter. 

"Yes I  yes!" 

"  All  of  them  ?  "  queried  Dave. 

"  Yes,  every  one.  I  placed  them  in  the  casket 
myself  before  we  locked  up  for  the  day." 

"  Maybe  the  casket  is  on  the  floor,  under  the 
doors,"  suggested  Dave;  but  he  had  little  hope 
of  such  being  the  case. 

All  started  a  search,  lasting  for  several  min- 
utes. But  it  was  useless,  the  casket  with  its  pre- 
cious jewelry  had  disappeared.    Oliver  Wadsworth 


'The  casket— the  Carwith  casket  is  aoyKl"~Page  96. 


AT  THE  JEWELRY  WORKS  97 

tottered  to  a  chair  that  Phil  placed  for  him  and 
sank  heavily  upon  it. 

"  Gone !  "  he  muttered,  in  a  strained  voice. 
"  Gone !  And  if  I  cannot  recover  it,  I  shall  be 
ruined  I  " 


CHAPTER  XI 

LOOKING  FOR  THE  ROBBERS 

All  in  the  offices  listened  with  interest  to  Oliver 
Wadsworth's  words. 

"  The  jewels  were  probably  what  the  rascals 
were  after,"  was  Mr.  Porter's  comment.  "  Evi- 
dently they  did  not  touch  any  of  the  gold  plate 
or  silverware." 

"  That  shows  they  must  have  known  the  jewels 
were  here,"  said  Dunston  Porter. 

"  Couldn't  they  find  out  about  them  from  the 
workmen?"  questioned  Dave. 

"  I  suppose  so — although  it  is  a  rule  of  the 
works  for  the  men  to  keep  silent  regarding 
precious  stones.  No  one  but  myself  and  the  gen- 
eral manager  are  supposed  to  know  just  what  we 
have  on  hand." 

**  We  must  get  busy  and  see  if  we  cannot  follow 
the  robbers  I  "  cried  David  Porter.  "  No  use  in 
wasting  time  here  now.  Let  us  scatter  in  all 
directions.  One  can  go  to  the  railroad  station  and 
the  others  to  the  roads  leading  out  of  town.  We 
may  pick  up  some  clew." 

98 


LOOKING  FOR  THE  ROBBERS  99 

"  The  police,  we'll  have  to  notify  them !  "  said 
Roger. 

"  Yes  1  yes  I  Call  the  police  up  on  the  tele- 
phone I  "  ejaculated  Mr.  Wadsworth,  starting  to 
his  feet. 

Dave  ran  to  the  end  of  the  office,  where  a 
telephone  rested  on  a  stand.  The  shock  of  the 
explosion  had  severed  the  wires. 

"  It's  out  of  commission,"  he  said.  *'  I'll  have 
to  use  the  one  in  the  shipping-room." 

He  left  the  offices,  and  made  his  way  through 
two  of  the  workrooms.  Phil  went  with  him  and 
so  did  Roger. 

"  This  will  be  a  terrible  blow  for  Mr.  Wads- 
worth,"  was  the  comment  of  the  shipowner's 
son. 

"  He  said  if  he  didn't  get  the  jewels  back  it 
would  ruin  him,"  added  Roger. 

"Oh,  we  must  get  them  back!  "  cried  Dave. 
"Why,  they  are  worth  a  fortune!  " 

In  the  shipping-room  all  was  dark,  and  the 
boys  had  to  first  light  a  match  and  then  turn  on 
the  electric  illumination.    The  telephone  was  near 

by. 

"  Ruined !  "  cried  our  hero,  as  he  beheld  the 
wrenched-away  receiver  and  transmitter. 

"  Here  is  where  they  must  have  caught  the 
watchman  while  he  was  telephoning  to  Mr.  Wads- 
worth!"  said  Phil. 


loo      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"That  must  be  it,  Phil.  We'll  have  to  go 
to  the  police  station,  or  find  another  tele- 
phone." 

The  boys  rushed  back  to  the  offices  and  told  of 
what  they  had  discovered.  Then  Phil  and  Roger 
volunteered  to  run  to  the  police  station,  over  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away. 

"  If  you'll  do  that,  I'll  go  to  the  railroad  sta- 
tion," said  Dave.  "  I  may  be  able  to  pick  up 
some  clew.  The  twelve-fifteen  train  is  almost  due 
and  those  rascals  may  try  to  board  it.  If  I  see  any- 
body that  looks  suspicious,  I'll  have  him  de- 
tained." 

"  Don't  get  into  trouble  I  "  called  his  father 
after  him. 

"  I'll  try  to  take  care  of  myself.  Dad,"  he  an- 
swered. 

Dave  ran  the  whole  distance  to  the  depot.  As 
he  went  along  he  kept  his  eyes  wide  open  for  a 
possible  appearance  of  the  robbers,  peering  down 
side-streets  and  alleyways,  and  into  vacant  lots. 
But  he  saw  nobody  until  close  to  the  station  and 
then  he  received  a  sudden  hail  from  in  front  of 
a  coal  office. 

"  Hi,  you  I  Where  are  you  going  in  such  a 
hurry?"  And  a  man  in  a  dark  blue  uniform 
stepped  into  view,  night-stick  in  hand. 

"  Just  the  man  I  want  to  see  I  "  cried  our  hero. 
"  I  guess  you  know  me,  Mr.  Anderson.     Come 


LOOKING  FOR  THE  ROBBERS  loi 

on  down  to  the  depot,  quick  I  We  must  get  there 
before  the  train  comes  in  I  " 

"  Why,  it's  Dave  Porter  1  "  exclaimed  the  police- 
man.    "What's  the  row,  Dave?" 

"  Mr.  Wadsworth's  jewelry  works  has  been 
robbed.  They  have  just  gone  to  notify  head- 
quarters. I  thought  maybe  the  robbers  might  try 
to  get  away  on  the  train.  We  want  to  stop  any 
suspicious  characters." 

"The  jewelry  works  robbed?  You  don't  sayl 
All  right,  I'll  go  right  along.  Hope  we  can  catch 
'em !  "  And  Officer  Anderson  swung  up  beside 
Dave,  and  both  continued  on  a  dog-trot  to  the 
depot. 

Nobody  but  the  station  master  was  in  sight. 
Dave  and  the  policeman  thought  it  best  to  keep 
out  of  sight. 

"  You  stay  at  one  end  and  I'll  stay  at  the  other," 
said  the  officer.  "  If  you  see  anybody  suspicious, 
whistle  twice  and  I'll  come  on  the  double-quick." 

At  last  they  heard  the  train  coming.  Nobody 
had  appeared,  but  presently  Dave  caught  sight  of 
a  burly  figure  sneaking  beside  several  empty 
freight  cars  on  a  side-track.  He  gave  the  signal 
for  aid  and  then  sneaked  after  the  man.  By  this 
time  the  train  had  rolled  into  the  little  station. 

Only  a  well-known  young  man  of  Crumville 
alighted,  accompanied  by  an  elderly  lady,  his 
mother.    There  were  no  passengers  to  get  aboard, 


I02      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

and  the  conductor  swung  his  lantern  for  the  en- 
gineer to  go  ahead  again. 

At  that  moment  the  burly  fellow  near  the  freight 
cars  made  a  dive  for  the  trucks  of  a  baggage  car, 
with  the  evident  intention  of  stealing  a  ride.  He 
had  almost  reached  the  trucks  when  Dave  came 
up  behine  him  and  hauled  him  back. 

"  Not  so  fast !  "  said  our  hero,  firmly.  "  I 
want  to  talk  to  you." 

"  Hey,  you  let  me  alone  I  "  growled  the  burly 
fellow.  He  was  ragged  and  unshaven  and  evi- 
dently a  tramp. 

"  Where  did  you  come  from?  "  went  on  Dave, 
and  he  continued  to  hold  the  man,  while  the  train 
moved  ofif. 

"Wot  business  is  that  o'  yours?"  was  the 
sulky  return.  '*'  Wot  did  yer  make  me  miss  that 
train  for?  " 

"  You'll  fine  out  in  a  minute  or  two,"  answered 
our  hero,  and  just  then  Officer  Anderson  came  run- 
ning up. 

"Got  somebody,  have  you?"  he  panted. 

"  I  guess  he  is  only  a  tramp,"  was  Dave's  reply. 
"  But  we  may  as  well  hold  'him  and  see  what  he 
has  got  to  say." 

"  It's  Applejack  Joe,"  said  the  policeman,  as  he 
eyed  the  prisoner.  "  We  warned  him  out  of  town 
this  morning.  What  was  he  going  to  do,  steal 
a  ride?" 


LOOKING  FOR  THE  ROBBERS  103 

"  I  think  so.  I  caught  him  making  for  the 
trucks  of  a  baggage  car." 

"  That's  Joe's  favorite  way  of  riding,"  chuckled 
the  policeman. 

"  I  can't  see  why  that  young  feller  had  to  stop 
me,"  growled  the  tramp.  "  You  folks  wants  me 
to  git  out,  an'  when  I  start  yer  hold  me  back." 

"  Why  didn't  you  go  this  morning,  if  you  were 
told  to  go?  "  asked  Dave. 

'*  Say,  I  don't  move  as  swift  as  some  folks. 
Wot's  the  use?    Take  yer  time,  is  my  motter." 

"  Where  have  you  been  for  the  last  three  or 
four  hours?"  asked  the  policeman. 

"Where  have  I  been?  It  won't  do  you  no 
good  to  know,  cap'n." 

"  Well,  you  tell  us,  just  the  same,"  said  Dave. 
"I  want  to  know  if  you  have  seen  any  other  men 
sneaking  around  town  to-night.  If  you  have,  it 
may  pay  you  to  tell  me  about  it." 

"  Provided  we  can  land  on  those  other  chaps," 
put  in  the  officer. 

"  Oh,  I  see;  somethin'  wrong,  hey?  "  And  the 
tramp  leered  unpleasantly.  "  Want  to  pull  me 
into  it,  mebbe." 

"  You  are  pulled  in  already,"  answered  Officer 
Anderson. 

"  Oh,  don't  arrest  me,  an'  I'll  tell  you  every- 
thing I  know!  "  pleaded  Applejack  Joe.  He  had 
once  been  in  the  Crumville  jail  in  winter  and  found 


I04      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

it  very  cold  and  uninviting,  and  he  wanted  no  more 
of  it. 

"What  do  you  know?"  questioned  Dave. 
"  Answer  quick.  There  has  been  a  big  robbery 
here,  and  if  you  can  help  us  to  catch  the  men  may- 
be you'll  get  a  reward." 

"  Reward?  Say,  I'm  your  huckleberry,  young 
man.  Wot  do  I  know?  "  The  tramp  rubbed  his 
unshaven  chin.  "  Yes,  that's  them,  I'm  sure  of 
it,"  he  murmured,  half  to  himself. 

"Who?"  demanded  Dave,  impatiently. 

"  Them  two  fellers  I  see  down  at  Casterbury's 
stock-farm  this  afternoon.  They  had  a  bag  wot 
looked  suspicious  to  me,  an',  say;  did  they  use 
dynamite,  or  somethin'  like  that  ?  " 

"They  did!" 

"  Then  that's  them  I  Cos  why?  Cos  when  they 
walked  past  where  I  was  hidin',  I  heard  one  of  'em 
say,  '  Be  careful  o'  that,  we  don't  want  it  to  go 
off  an'  git  blowed  up.' " 

"Two  men?"  came  from  the  policeman. 
"  Did  you  know  them?  " 

The  tramp  shook  his  head. 

"  Never  set  eyes  on  'em  before.  But  I  see  'em 
after  that,  down  back  of  that  jewelry  works  over 
there,"  and  he  threw  up  his  hand  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Wadsworth's  place.  "  Say,  is  that 
the  place  they  robbed?  "  he  continued,  with  some 
show  of  interest. 


LOOKING  FOR  THE  ROBBERS  105 

"  Yes,"  answered  Dave.  "  Now  tell  me  how 
those  fellows  looked." 

"  I  can't  tell  yer  that,  exactly,  fer  my  eyesight 
ain't  none  too  good,  I  git  so  much  smoke  an'  cin- 
ders in  'em  from  the  railroad.  But  they  was 
kinder  young  fellers,  I  think,  and  putty  good  edu- 
cated— not  common  fellers  like  me.  Somethin' 
like  yerself.  An'  they  was  dressed  putty  good, 
long  overcoats,  and  soft  hats  wot  was  pulled  down 
over  their  faces." 

"  Did  you  hear  them  speak  any  names?  "  asked 
Officer  Anderson. 

"  Nary  a  name." 

"  Have  you  seen  the  two  men  during  the  last 
hour  or  so?"  asked  Dave. 

"  No,  ain't  see  'em  since  I  spotted  'em  back 
of  the  jewelry  factory.  That  was  about  seven, 
or  maybe  eight  o'clock." 

"Did  they  go  into  the  works  then  ?  " 

"  No,  they  just  stood  by  the  back  fence  talkin'. 
I  thought  they  had  somethin'  to  do  with  that  new 
buildin'  going  up  there,  so  I  didn't  think  nuthin' 
more  about  it." 

"  I  see.  Well,  Joe,  I  guess  you  had  better  come 
with  us  for  the  present,"  went  on  Dave.  "  We'll 
want  your  testimony." 

"  It  ain't  fair  to  arrest  me !  "  whined  the  tramp. 

"  We  won't  call  it  arrest,"  went  on  Dave,  be- 
fore the  policeman  could  speak.     "  You'll  be  de- 


io6      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

tained,  that's  all,  and  I'll  see  that  you  don't  lose 
anything  by  it." 

"  All  right  then,  if  that's  the  way  you're  goin' 
to  put  it,"  answered  Applejack  Joe  resignedly. 
"  But  I  hope  you'll  see  to  it  that  I  gits  something 
to  eat  an'  a  warm  place  to  sleep." 

"  I'll  remember,"  returned  our  hero. 

There  seemed  nothing  now  to  do  but  to  return 
to  the  jewelry  works  and  this  Dave  did,  taking 
the  tramp  and  the  officer  with  him.  When  they 
arrived  they  found  the  chief  of  police  there,  with 
two  officers.  The  chief  was  questioning  Mr. 
Wadsworth  and  the  distracted  manufacturer  was 
telling  what  he  knew  about  the  crime  that  had 
been  committed. 

The  arrival  of  those  from  the  depot,  and  what 
the  tramp  had  to  tell,  put  a  new  face  on  the  mat- 
ter. One  of  the  officers  said  he  had  seen  the  two 
strangers  with  the  tool-bag,  but  had  put  them  down 
for  traveling  salesmen  visiting  Crumville  on  busi- 
ness. 

"  They  are  undoubtedly  the  guilty  parties,"  said 
the  chief.  "  The  only  question  is :  Where  did  they 
go  to?" 

"Well,  they  didn't  take  that  twelve-fifteen 
train,"  answered  Dave. 

"  Then  they  either  got  out  of  town  by  the  use 
of  a  horse  or  an  auto,  or  else  they  are  here  yet," 
said  Mr.  Wadsworth.    "  Oh,  catch  them  I    Catch 


LOOKING  FOR  THE  ROBBERS  107 

them  if  you  can  I  I  must  get  those  jewels  backl 
I'll  give  a  big  reward  for  their  safe  return." 

"  Have  you  heard  from  Phil  or  Roger  yet?  " 

"  No,  Dave." 

"  They  may  bring  in  some  word." 

"  Let  us  hope  so,"  groaned  the  manufacturer. 

"What  became  of  the  watchman?" 

"  That  is  a  mystery.  Perhaps  they  carried  him 
off  and  threw  him  into  the  river,  or  something 
like  that!" 

"  Oh,  they  wouldn't  be  as  rascally  as  all  thatl  " 
returned  Dave,  in  horror. 

"  Perhaps.  Some  robbers  are  very  desperate 
characters." 

At  that  moment  came  a  cry  from  one  of  the 
workrooms,  where  one  of  the  officers  had  gone  to 
take  a  look  around. 

"  What  is  it,  Carr?  "  called  the  chief  of  police. 

"  Here's  poor  Tony  Wells,"  was  the  answer. 
"  He's  in  bad  shape.  Better  somebody  run  for 
a  doctor  at  once!  " 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  TELLTALE    CIGARETTE   BOX 

The  watchman  was  indeed  in  bad  shape.  He 
had  been  found  thrown  under  a  workbench,  and 
just  returning  to  consciousness.  He  had  a  cut 
over  his  left  ear  and  another  on  his  forehead,  from 
which  the  blood  had  flowed  freely. 

"  Must  have  struck  him  with  a  club,  or  an 
iron  bar,"  was  the  opinion  of  the  chief,  as  the 
injured  man  was  carried  into  the  office  and  placed 
on  some  chair  cushions.  Here  his  wounds  were 
washed  and  bound  up,  while  one  officer  ran  to 
get  a  doctor  who  lived  not  a  great  distance  off. 

It  was  some  little  time  before  Tony  Wells, 
who  was  nearly  seventy  years  of  age,  opened  his 
eyes  to  stare  around  him. 

"  Don't — don't  hit  me  again  1  "  he  murmured. 
"I— I  didn't  touch  you  I" 

"  It's  all  right,  Tony  1  "  said  the  chief.  "  Those 
fellows  are  gone.    You're  among  friends." 

"  They — knocked  me  down !  "  gasped  the  old 
watchman.     "  I — I — tried  to  telephone — after  the 

explosion,  but — ^but "     He  could  not  go  on, 

and  suddenly  relapsed  again  into  unconsciousness. 

io8 


THE  TELLTALE  CIGARETTE  BOX     109 

"  Poor  fellow  1  "  said  Mr.  Wadsworth,  ten- 
derly.    "  We  must  do  what  we  can  for  him." 

"Is  anything  missing  besides  the  jewels?" 
asked  Dave,  while  they  were  waiting  for  the  doctor 
to  come,  and  waiting  to  hear  from  the  others  who 
had  gone  out. 

"  No,  Dave.  But  that  is  enough.  If  they  are 
not  recovered,  I  shall  be  ruined." 

"  Can  they  hold  you  responsible  for  the  loss?  " 

*'  Yes,  for  when  I  took  the  jewels  to  re-set  I 
guaranteed  the  safe  return  of  each  jewel.  I  had 
to  do  that  because  they  were  afraid  some  work- 
men might  try  to  substitute  other  jewels  not  so 
good — which   is   sometimes   done." 

"  And  you  said  they  were  worth  seventy-five 
thousand  dollars?" 

"  All  of  that." 

"  Those  robbers  certainly  made  a  haul." 

"  It  drives  me  crazy  to  think  about  it,"  groaned 
Oliver  Wadsworth. 

"  Perhaps  the  others  who  went  out  will  catch 
them,"  answered  our  hero,  hopefully. 

Soon  the  doctor  arrived  and  took  charge  of  old 
Tony  Wells,  whom  he  knew  well.  As  Wells  was 
a  widower,  living  alone,  the  doctor  said  he  would 
take  the  old  man  to  his  own  home,  where  he 
could  have  constant  attention. 

"  He  is  already  in  a  fever,"  said  the  physician. 
"  We  had  better  not  try  to  question  him  at  pres- 


no      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

ent.  It  will  only  excite  him  the  more."  And  a 
little  later  the  sufferer  was  placed  on  a  litter  and 
carried  to  the  doctor's  residence. 

By  this  time  the  news  was  circulating  that  the 
Wadsworth  jewelry  works  had  been  robbed,  and 
many  persons  spent  the  rest  of  the  night  looking 
for  the  two  young  men  who  were  supposed  to  be 
guilty  of  the  crime.  Oliver  Wadsworth  and  an 
officer  remained  at  the  offices,  guarding  the 
wrecked  place  and  looking  for  clews  of  the  evil- 
doers. But  nothing  in  the  way  of  evidence  against 
the  robbers  was  brought  to  light,  excepting  that 
they  had  used  several  drills  and  some  dynamite 
on  the  two  old  safes,  probably  blowing  them  up 
simultaneously.  They  had  taken  the  tool-bag  with 
its  contents  with  them  and  also  another  small 
valise,  belonging  to  one  of  Mr.  Wadsworth's 
traveling  salesmen. 

"  I  can't  understand  why  Tony  Wells  didn't  dis- 
cover them  when  they  first  came  in,"  said 
Dave. 

"  Maybe  he  did  and  they  made  him  a  prisoner," 
suggested  Mr.  Wadsworth.  "  Tony  was  very 
faithful — the  best  watchman  I  ever  had." 

Daylight  came  at  last  and  still  the  search  for  the 
two  robbers  was  kept  up.  In  the  meantime,  tele- 
grams and  telephone  messages  had  been  sent  in 
all  directions.  To  stimulate  the  searchers  Mr. 
Wadsworth  offered  a  reward  of  one  thousand  dol- 


THE  TELLTALE  CIGARETTE  BOX      iii 

lars  for  the  recovery  of  the  jewels  and  this  re- 
ward was  later  on  increased  to  five  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

When  Tony  Wells  was  well  enough  to  tell  his 
story  he  said  he  had  been  going  the  rounds  of  the 
works  when  he  suddenly  found  himself  confronted 
by  two  masked  men.  He  had  started  to  cry  out 
and  run  for  help  when  the  men  had  seized  him 
and  thrown  him  down  and  bound  him  fast  to  a 
work-bench.  Then  the  men  had  gone  to  the  offices, 
and  later  on  had  come  the  explosion.  He  knew 
they  were  blowing  open  the  safes  and  did  what 
he  could  to  free  himself.  At  last  he  managed  to 
get  free,  but  found  himself  too  weak  to  run  for 
help.  He  had  dragged  himself  to  the  telephone  in 
the  shipping-room  and  was  sending  his  message  to 
Mr.  Wadsworth  when  the  masked  men  had  again 
appeared  and  knocked  him  down.  That  was  all 
he  remembered  until  the  time  he  was  found,  as 
already  described. 

"  You  did  not  see  the  faces  of  the  two  men?  " 
asked  Oliver  Wadsworth. 

"  No,  sir,  they  were  all  covered  with  black 
masks.  But  I  think  the  fellows  was  rather  young- 
like,"  answered  the  old  watchman.  "  Both  of 
'em  was  about  the  size  of  Dave  Porter, — ^but 
neither  of  'em  was  Dave, — I  know  that  by  the 
voices,"  he  went  on,  hastily. 

"  No,  Dave  was  at  home  with  me,"  said  Oliver 


112      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Wadsworth.  "  But  he  and  one  of  his  friends 
passed  the  works  just  before  the  explosion." 

The  news  of  the  robbery  had  upset  the  Wads- 
worth  household  completely.  Mrs.  Wadsworth 
was  as  much  distressed  as  her  husband,  and  Jessie 
was  as  pale  as  if  seriously  ill. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  supposing  the  jewels  are  not  re- 
covered I  "  said  Jessie,  when  they  met  in  the  hall- 
way. "  It  will  ruin  father, — I  heard  him  tell 
mamma  so !  " 

"  We  are  going  to  get  them  back — we've  sim- 
ply got  to  do  it,"  Dave  replied. 

*'  But  how?  Nobody  seems  to  know  what  has 
become  of  the  robbers." 

"  Oh,  just  wait,  Jessie.  We  are  sure  to  get 
some  trace  of  them  sooner  or  later." 

"What  makes  you  so  hopeful,  Dave?"  and 
now  the  girl  suddenly  clutched  his  arm.  "  Have 
you  a  clew?  " 

"  I  think  so,  but  I  am  not  sure.  I  am  going 
to  talk  to  your  father  about  it,  and  then  I  am  going 
to  take  another  look  around  Crumville  and  around 
the  offices." 

Dave's  father  and  his  Uncle  Dunston  had  been 
out  all  day,  and  so  had  Phil  and  Roger  and  Ben, 
and  a  score  of  others,  including  the  officers  of  the 
law.  But  nothing  had  been  seen  or  heard  of  the 
mysterious  men  with  the  tool-bag.    Another  tramp 


THE  TELLTALE  CIGARETTE  BOX     113 

had  been  rounded  up,  but  he  knew  absolutely 
nothing  of  the  crime  and  was  let  go  again. 

Oliver  Wadsworth's  face  was  white  and  drawn 
and  he  looked  as  if  he  had  suddenly  grown  five 
years  older.  He  had  a  long,  private  conversation 
with  Dave's  father  and  Dunston  Porter,  and  all 
three  men  looked  very  grave  when  the  conference 
came  to  an  end. 

There  was  good  cause  for  this  seriousness.  The 
new  addition  to  the  jewel:  works  had  placed  Mr. 
Wadsworth  in  debt.  The  Porters  had  lent  him 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  and,  just  then,  could  lend 
him  no  more,  having  a  number  of  obligations  of 
their  own  to  meet. 

The  Carwith  jewels  were  the  property  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ridgeway  Osgood  Carwith,  of  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York  City.  The  Carwiths  were  now 
on  a  trip  around  the  world,  but  were  expected 
home  some  time  in  the  spring.  Mr.  Wadsworth 
had  agreed  to  re-set  the  jewels  according  to  de- 
signs already  accepted  by  the  millionaire  and  his 
wife,  and  had  guaranteed  the  safe  return  of  the 
jewels,  re-set  as  specified,  not  later  than  the  first 
of  the  following  May.  As  the  millionaire  was  a 
strict  business  man  he  had  demanded  a  bond  for 
the  safe  return  of  his  property,  and  this  bond  had 
been  given  by  Mr.  Wadsworth,  indorsed  by  David 
Breslow  Porter  and  Dunston  Porter. 


114      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Thus  it  will  readily  be  seen  that  the  millionaire 
and  his  wife  were  amply  secured.  If  they  did  not 
get  the  jewels  back  they  would  demand  the  pay- 
ment of  the  bond,  worth  seventy-five  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  Mr.  Wadsworth  and  the  Porters  would 
have  to  make  good. 

On  the  second  day  after  the  robbery,  Dave, 
Roger,  and  Phil  went  down  to  the  jewelry  works 
and  began  a  close  investigation  on  their  own  ac- 
count. Dave  had  mentioned  something  to  his 
chums  that  had  caused  chem  to  open  their  eyes  in 
astonishment. 

An  hour  was  spent  around  the  offices,  and  then 
Phil  picked  up  an  empty  cigarette  case.  He  took 
it  to  Dave  and  Roger  and  both  looked  at  it  with 
keen  interest. 

"  I  guess  that  is  another  clew,"  said  our  hero. 
"  Let  us  look  around  some  more." 

"  I'm  going  for  the  train  now,"  said  the  sena- 
tor's son,  a  little  later.  "  And  as  soon  as  I  find 
Hooker  Montgomery  I'll  let  you  know." 

"  Yes,  and  make  him  come  here,  whether  he 
wants  to  or  not,"  cried  Dave. 

"  You  leave  that  to  me,"  answered  Roger, 
grimly. 

Oliver  Wadsworth  had  been  interviewing  a 
private  detective,  and  soon  the  man  left,  stating 
he  thought  he  could  lay  his  hands  on  the  guilty 
parties. 


THE  TELLTALE  CIGARETTE  BOX     115 

"  I'll  look  for  Tom  Basnett,"  said  the  detective. 
"  This  looks  like  one  of  his  jobs." 

"  I  don't  care  whose  job  it  is — I  want  the  jewels 
back,"  said  Mr.  Wadsworth,  wearily.  He  had 
not  slept  since  the  crime  had  been  committed. 

"  Mr.  Wadsworth,  Phil  and  I  would  like  to 
talk  to  you  in  private,"  said  Dave,  when  he  could 
get  the  chance. 

"You  have  some  clew,  Dave?" 

"  Well,  I  want  to  tell  you  something,  and  then 
you  can  judge  for  yourself." 

"  Very  well,  come  with  me,"  answered  the 
manufacturer,  and  led  the  way  to  a  little  side-room, 
used  by  the  salesmen  for  exhibiting  wares  to  pos- 
sible customers. 

"  I  want  to  tell  you  all  about  something  that 
happened  early  in  the  winter,  while  I  was  at  Oak 
Hall,"  said  Dave.  And  then  he  told  of  how  he 
had  called  on  the  fake  doctor,  Hooker  Mont- 
gomery, and  how  he  had  been  attacked  from  be- 
hind and  made  a  prisoner,  and  carried  off  to  a 
house  in  the  woods,  the  particulars  of  which  have 
already  been  set  down  in  "  Dave  Porter  and  His 
Rivals." 

"  The  fellows  who  carried  me  off  were  the  doc- 
tor and  the  driver,  who  was  only  a  tool,  and  two 
fellows  who  have  caused  me  a  lot  of  trouble  in 
the  past,  Nick  Jasniff  and  Link  Merwell,"  went 
on  our  hero.     "  When  I  got  away  I  tried  to 


ii6      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

follow  up  Jasniff  and  Mcrwell,  but  they  got 
away  from  me,  and  so  did  the  driver  get  away. 
But  one  day  I  found  Hooker  Montgomery, 
and  by  threatening  to  have  him  arrested  I  made 
him  confess  to  the  truth,  which  was  that  Jasniff 
and  Merwell  had  hired  him  to  help  get  me  in 
their  power.  At  first  they  told  Montgomery  it 
was  only  a  schoolboy  trick,  and  he  said  he  believed 
them,  but,  later  on,  it  leaked  out  that  Jasniff  and 
Merweil  had  another  motive  in  making  me  a 
prisoner." 

"  And  that  motive ?  "  began  Oliver  Wads- 
worth,  with  deep  interest. 

"  Doctor  Montgomery  said  that  Jasniff  and 
Merwell  had  in  mind  to  drug  me  and  take  me  to 
somp-  place  a  good  distance  from  Oak  Hall.  He 
said  he  also  heard  them  speak  of  robbing  a  jewelry 
works,  and  I  was  to  be  drugged  and  left  in  the 
factory, — to  make  it  appear  as  if  I  had  done  the 
deed  and  as  if  the  blowing  up  of  a  safe  had  stunned 
me. 

"  Dave,  is  this  possible  1  "  exclaimed  the  manu- 
facturer. 

"  It  is  true,  Mr.  Wadsworth,"  said  Phil.  "  I 
was  along  and  so  was  Roger  at  the  time.  Mont- 
gomery couldn't  give  many  details,  but  he  said 
he  thought  Jasniff  and  Merwell  were  cold-blooded 
villains  and  he  wanted  nothing  more  to  do  with 
them." 


THE  TELLTALE  CIGARETTE  BOX     117 

"  This  looks  as  if  those  rascals,  Jasniff  and 
Merwell,  had  come  here." 

"  I  believe  they  did  come,"  went  on  Dave. 
"  And  here  is  one  clew  we  have  already  picked  up 
against  them."  And  he  held  up  the  empty  cigar- 
ette box. 

"What  is  that?  Only  a  cigarette  box.  How 
can  that  be  a  clew?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you.  Both  Jasniff  and  Merwell  are 
inveterate  cigarette  smokers.  I  have  seen  them 
smoking  many  times.  They  smoke  a  Turkish 
brand  of  cigarettes,  having  a  peculiar  blue  and 
gold  band  around  the  box.  This  is  the  same  kind 
of  a  box,  and  I  am  convinced  that  this  box  was 
emptied  and  thrown  away  in  your  offices  by  Jas- 
niff or  Merwell." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

DARK  DAYS 

Oliver  Wadsworth  listened  to  Dave's  words 
with  deep  interest.  Then  he  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders. 

"  That  sounds  pretty  good,  Dave,  were  it  not 
for  one  thing.  Do  you  imagine  that  two  masked 
fellows,  bent  on  blowing  open  safes,  would  stop 
to  light  and  smoke  cigarettes  ?  " 

"  I  think  Merwell  and  Jasniff  would,  Merwell 
especially.  When  Link  is  nervous  the  first  thing 
he  does  is  to  take  out  a  cigarette  and  light  it.  It's 
an  almost  unconscious  habit  with  him." 

"  This  story  about  what  that  doctor  said  in- 
terests me  most  of  all,"  went  on  the  manufacturer. 
"  I  think  we  ought  to  have  a  talk  with  him.  For 
all  we  know,  he  may  be  one  of  the  guilty  parties." 

"  No,  I  don't  think  he  is  that  kind.  Besides, 
he  was  very  angry  at  Merwell  and  Jasniff  and 
wanted  nothing  more  to  do  with  them." 

"  The  detective  who  was  here  thought  he  had 
a  clew  against  a  professional  bank  burglar.  Per- 
sonally, I  think  this  looks  more  like  the  work  of 
professionals  than  fellows  just  out  of  school,"  said 

1X8 


DARK  DAYS  119 

the  manufacturer;  and  there,  for  the  time  being, 
the  matter  rested. 

During  the  day  two  more  detectives  appeared 
and  went  over  the  ground,  as  the  other  officials  had 
done.  One  thought  he  saw  in  the  robbery  the 
hand  of  a  criminal  known  as  Red  Andrews. 

"  This  is  just  the  way  Red  Andrews  would  go 
at  a  job,"  said  the  detective.  "  He  was  sent  up 
for  robbing  a  private  banker  some  years  ago,  and 
he  got  out  two  months  ago.  He  was  in  New  York 
— I  saw  him  on  Fifth  Avenue,  not  far  from  the 
Carwith  mansion.  He  may  have  heard  about  the 
jewels  there.  I  am  going  to  look  for  him."  And 
he  departed  on  a  hunt  for  Red  Andrews. 

It  was  not  until  two  days  later  that  Roger  came 
back  to  Crumville.  His  face  showed  his  disap- 
pointment. 

"  Such  mean  luck!  "  he  exclaimed,  when  he  met 
Dave,  Phil,  and  Ben.  "  I  went  to  four  towns, 
looking  for  Hooker  Montgomery,  and  at  last  I 
found  out  that  he  had  left  the  east  several  days 
ago." 

"  Where  did  he  go  to?  "  questioned  our  hero. 

"  The  folks  I  met  couldn't  tell  exactly, 
but  they  thought  to  visit  a  rich  aunt  in  the  far 
west." 

This  was  a  great  disappointment,  for  they  had 
hoped  to  learn  much  more  concerning  the  plans 
of  Jasniff  and  Merwell,  from  the  fake  doctor. 


I20      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  V^e  might  send  him  a  letter,  to  his  last  resi- 
dence. Maybe  the  post-office  authorities  will  for- 
ward it,"  suggested  Phil. 

"  I  did  that,"  answered  the  senator's  son.  "  I 
told  him  that  I  wanted  to  hear  from  him  at  once, 
and  that  it  would  be  money  in  his  pocket  to  write 
or  to  telegraph  to  me.  I  didn't  mention  your 
name,  Dave,  for  I  thought  he  might  hear  of  this 
robbery  and  get  suspicious." 

It  was  ideal  weather  for  skating  and  sleighing, 
but  none  of  the  young  folks  at  the  Wadsworth 
mansion  felt  like  going  out  for  fun.  All  could 
see  that  the  older  folks  were  much  worried,  and 
consequently,  they  were  worried,  too. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  what  if  those  jewels  are  never  re- 
covered?" said  Laura  to  her  brother,  when  they 
were  alone.  "  It  will  just  about  ruin  Mr.  Wads- 
worth,  Uncle  Dunston  says." 

"  Let  us  hope  for  the  best,  Laura." 

"  I  heard  you  and  the  other  boys  talking  about 
Nick  Jasniff  and  Link  Merwell." 

"Yes?" 

"  Do  you  really  imagine  they  had  something 
to  do  with  it?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  so,  and  so  do  Phil,  Ben,  and 
Roger.  But  the  detectives  and  Mr.  Wadsworth 
think  the  work  was  done  by  professionals.  They 
don't  think  that  fellows  like  Nick  and  Link  would 
be  equal  to  the  job." 


DARK  DAYS  121 

"  But  if  you  think  Merwell  and  Jasniff  guilty, 
why  don't  you  go  after  them  and  find  out?" 

"  We  don't  know  where  they  are." 

"Aren't  they  with  their  folks?' 

"  No." 

"Are  you  sure?" 

"  Yes.  The  Jasniffs  are  traveling  aboard  and 
Mr.  Merwell  is  in  Philadelphia.  We  sent  to  Mr. 
Merwell — through  an  outsider — and  learned  that 
he  didn't  know  where  Link  was  just  now,  said  he 
had  written  that  he  was  going  on  a  tour  south  for 
the  winter.  My  private  opinion  is  that  Mr.  Mer- 
well finds  Link  hard  to  manage  and  is  glad  to  get 
rid  of  him." 

"  Do  you  suppose  he  did  go  south?  " 

"  He  might — after  this  affair  here." 

"  They  didn't  say  what  part  of  the  south  he 
went  to?  " 

"  They  said  Florida.  But  Florida  is  pretty  big, 
you  know,"  and  Dave  smiled  faintly. 

"Jessie  is  awfully  downcast  over  this,  and  so 
is  Mrs.  Wadsworth — in  fact,  we  all  are." 

"  I  know  it,  Laura."  Dave  drew  a  long  breath. 
"  It's  awfully  hard  to  sit  still  and  do  nothing. 
I  imagine  Mr.  Wadsworth  can't  sleep  for  think- 
ing of  the  affair." 

"  I  heard  Mrs.  Wadsworth  talking  last  night 
to  him.  I  didn't  mean  to  listen,  Dave,  but  before 
I  could  get  away  I  heard  her  say  that  if  it  was 


122      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

necessary  she  would  give  up  this  house  to  live  in 
and  move  to  a  smaller  place  1  Think  of  it  I  Why, 
her  very  heart  is  set  on  this  house  and  these  fine 
grounds!  And  Jessie  thinks  the  world  of  them, 
too!" 

"  It  would  be  awfully  hard  if  they  did  have  to 
give  them  up,  Laura." 

"  Dave,  can't  father  or  Uncle  Dunston  help 
them,  if  they  need  help  ?  " 

"  They  have  helped  Mr.  Wadsworth  already — 
loaned  him  twenty  thousand  dollars  so  that  he 
could  put  that  new  addition  to  the  works.  They 
also  indorsed  his  note  covering  the  safe  return  of 
the  jewels.  If  those  jewels  aren't  gotten  back, 
and  Mr.  Wadsworth  can't  make  good  on  that  note, 
father  and  Uncle  Dunston  will  have  to  pay  the 
money." 

"All  of  it?" 

"  As  much  as  Mr.  Wadsworth  can't  pay.  And 
the  worst  of  the  whole  matter  is,  Laura,  just  at 
present  father  and  Uncle  Dunston  have  their 
ready  money  tied  up  in  such  a  manner  that  they 
can't  get  hold  of  it  excepting  at  a  great  loss.  Oh, 
it  certainly  is  a  terrible  state  of  affairs  I  "  And 
Dave  shook  his  head,  gravely. 

During  that  week  Ben  had  Shadow  Hamil- 
ton and  Buster  Beggs  visit  him.  Of  course,  the 
new  arrivals  had  to  hear  all  about  the  robbery, 


DARK  DAYS  123 

and  they  came  over  with  Ben  to  call  on  the  other 
boys,  and  on  the  girls. 

"  This  is  fierce ! "  was  Buster's  comment. 
"  And  Ben  says  you  rather  suspect  Merwell  and 
Jasniff,"  he  added,  in  a  whisper. 

"  We  do,  but  don't  say  anything  to  any  out- 
siders about  it,"  answered  Dave. 

"  Say,  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  said 
Shadow.    "  A  little  girl  once " 

"Wowl  Cut  it  out,  Shadow!"  burst  out 
Phil. 

"  Stories  don't  go  with  robberies,"  supplemented 
Roger. 

"  Let  him  tell  it,"  put  in  Dave,  with  a  faint 
smile.  "  It  will  relieve  his  mind,  and  I  guess  I 
need  a  little  fun  to  brace  me  up — I've  been  so 
depressed  lately." 

"  This  isn't  so  very  much  of  a  story,"  went  on 
Shadow,  as  all  looked  at  him.  "  Dave  telling 
Buster  not  to  let  outsiders  know  put  me  in  mind 
of  it.  Once  the  mother  of  a  little  girl  told  her 
that  her  uncle  had  been  naughty  and  had  been 
put  in  prison  for  it.  Said  the  mother,  *  Now, 
Lucy,  don't  tell  anybody.'  So  Lucy  went  out  to 
play  and  pretty  soon,  when  she  had  all  her  com- 
panions around  her  she  said,  '  What  do  you  think 
my  ma  said  ?  She  said  that  when  anybody  has  an 
uncle  in  prison,  like  my  uncle  is,  you  mustn't  tell 


124      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

anybody.  So  I'm  not  going  to  tell  a  single  per- 
son!'" 

"  Well,  I  guess  the  boys  know  what  I  mean," 
said  Dave,  after  a  short  laugh.  *'  I  want  you  to 
keep  this  to  yourselves.  Don't  spread  it  any 
further.  It  may  be  that  I  am  mistaken,  and  if  so, 
and  Merwell  and  Jasniff  heard  of  what  I  have 
said,  they  would  come  down  on  me  like  a  ton  of 
bricks — and  I'd  not  blame  them." 

In  the  afternoon,  urged  by  Mrs,  Wadsworth, 
the  boys  went  skating,  taking  the  girls  with  them. 
On  the  ice  they  met  Nat  Poole,  but  the  money- 
lender's son  did  not  speak  to  them,  indeed  he  did 
his  best  to  keep  out  of  their  way. 

"  He  hasn't  forgotten  New  Year's  Eve,"  said 
Ben.  "  He  had  better  keep  his  distance,  unless 
he  wants  to  get  into  more  trouble." 

"  Wonder  what  he  thinks  of  the  robbery  ? " 
mused  Dave. 

**  We  might  get  Buster  to  pump  him,"  sug- 
gested Phil.  "  He  is  on  pretty  good  terms  with 
Nat, — that  is,  they  are  not  open  enemies." 

Buster  was  appealed  to  and  he  readily  agreed  to 
do  the  "  pumping,"  provided  the  money-lender's 
son  had  anything  to  say.  He  skated  off  by  him- 
self and  then  threw  himself  in  Nat's  way,  and  was 
gone  the  best  part  of  half  an  hour. 

"Well,  did  you  learn  anything?"  queried 
Roger,  when  the  stout  youth  returned. 


DARK  DAYS  125 

"  I  guess  I  did !  "  cried  Buster.  "  Say,  I  think 
Nat  Poole  is  about  as  mean  as  they  make  'em !  " 
he  burst  out.  "  And  he  hasn't  a  grain  of  good, 
hard  common-sense !  " 

"What  did  he  say?"  demanded  Phil. 

"  Oh,  he  said  a  lot  of  things,  about  the  rob- 
bery, and  about  the  Wadsworths  and  the  Porters. 
First  he  said  he  didn't  believe  the  jewels  were 
nearly  as  valuable  as  Mr.  Wadsworth  represented 
them  to  be,  and  the  manufacturer  was  kicking  up 
a  big  fuss  just  as  a  sort  of  advertisement.  Then 
he  said  there  was  a  report  that  Dave  had  been 
seen  in  front  of  the  works  just  a  few  minutes 
before  the  explosion,  and  that  that  looked  mighty 
suspicious  to  him." 

"  The  mean  fellow  I  "  muttered  Roger. 

"  I  told  him  that  you  and  Roger  were  going 
to  the  Wadsworth  house  at  the  time,  and  were 
home  when  the  watchman  telephoned,  but  he  only 
tossed  his  head  as  if  he  didn't  believe  a  word  of 
it,  and  said  he  guessed  Dave  could  tell  something 
if  he  was  of  a  mind  to  talk." 

"  If  that  isn't  Poole  to  a  TI  "  cried  Phil. 

"  If  I  were  you,  Dave,  I'd  punch  his  head  for 
him,"  was  Shadow's  advice. 

"  That  wouldn't  do  any  good,"  said  Ben. 
**  You  can't  stop  Nat  from  talking  any  more  than 
you  can  stop  water  from  running  out  of  a 
sieve." 


126      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Which  puts  mc  in  mind  of  another  story," 
burst  out  Shadow,  eagerly.    "  Once  two  men " 

"Oh,  Shadow,  another?"  cried  Buster,  re- 
proachfully. 

"  I  know  that  story — it's  moss-covered  with 
age,"  announced  Roger. 

"What  is  it?"  demanded  the  story-teller  of 
Oak  Hall. 

"  Two  men — bet — carry  water  in  a  sieve — bet 
taken — water  frozen.  Ha !  ha  1  Shadow,  I  got  you 
that  time." 

"  Well,  it's  a  good  story  anyway,"  answered 
Shadow,  ruefully. 

"  I  shan't  attempt  to  stop  Nat  unless  he  makes 
some  direct  accusation,"  said  Dave,  calmly. 
"What  would  be  the  use?  It  would  only  make 
matters  worse." 

"  If  you  took  notice  of  what  he  says,  some  folks 
would  begin  to  think  there  was  something  in  it," 
said  Phil.  "  Yes,  better  drop  Nat.  He  isn't 
worth  bothering  about,  anyway.  Just  the  same, 
it  is  mean  for  him  to  speak  in  this  fashion." 

"  He  wouldn't  be  Nat  Poole  if  he  didn't,"  re- 
torted Roger. 

Despite  this  incident,  the  boys  and  girls  man- 
aged to  have  a  good  time  on  the  ice,  and  for  an 
hour  or  two  Dave  forgot  his  troubles  and  those  of 
his  friends. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  for  the  rest  of  the 


DARK  DAYS  lay 

vacation,  Dave?"  said  Roger,  that  evening. 
"  You  know  you  promised  to  come  to  my  home." 

"  Yes,  and  you  promised  to  visit  me,  too,"  added 
Phil.  "  You  haven't  been  to  our  house  in  a  long 
time." 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  I  haven't  the  heart  to  go 
anywhere,"  answered  Dave,  soberly.  "  I  guess  I 
had  better  stay  here  and  see  if  something  doesn't 
turn  up." 

"  Well,  I  can't  blame  you,"  said  the  senator's 
son,  and  Phil  said  the  same. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

OFF  FOR  THE   SOUTH 

Two  days  later,  when  Roger  was  packing  up, 
getting  ready  to  return  home,  he  received  a  letter 
from  Luke  Watson  that  filled  him  with  interest. 
Luke  had  gone  to  St.  Augustine,  Florida,  to  join 
his  folks,  who  were  spending  the  winter  there. 

"  Here's  news !  "  burst  out  the  senator's  son,  as 
he  came  rushing  to  Dave  and  Phil  with  the  epistle. 
"  This  letter  is  from  Luke  Watson,  you  know  his 
folks  are  in  Florida.  Well,  on  his  way  to  St. 
Augustine,  Luke  stopped  for  a  day  at  Jacksonville. 
Listen  to  what  he  says : 

"  *  I  was  walking  down  one  of  the  main  streets 
of  Jacksonville,  looking  into  the  shop  windows, 
when  what  do  you  think?  I  saw  Link  Merwell 
and  Nick  Jasniff.  You  could  have  knocked  me 
over  with  a  feather,  for  I  hadn't  imagined  that 
they  were  anywhere  near.  They  were  nattily 
dressed  and  each  carried  a  small  valise,  and  they 
were  buying  caps  and  some  other  things  for  a  sea 
voyage.  I  went  into  the  shop  and  called  to  them, 
and  my  I  both  of  them  jumped  as  if  they  were  shot, 

za8 


OFF  FOR  THE  SOUTH  129 

and  Merwell  got  so  pale  I  thought  he  was  going 
to  faint.  I  said  "  Hello,"  but  they  didn't  answer 
to  that,  and  Jasniff  at  once  wanted  to  know  if  I 
was  alone.  When  I  told  him  I  was  he  seemed 
mightily  relieved,  and  Merwell  looked  relieved, 
too.  They  wanted  to  know  what  I  was  doing 
there  and  I  told  them.  Then  I  asked  what  they 
were  doing,  but  I  couldn't  get  any  straight  answer. 
Merwell  started  to  say  something  about  going  to 
sea,  but  Jasniff  stopped  him  short,  and  said  they 
guessed  they  would  go  back  to  New  York,  where 
they  had  come  from. 

"  *  It  was  awful  funny — they  positively  looked 
scared  to  death,  and  while  they  were  talking  to 
me  they  looked  over  my  shoulders,  as  if  on  their 
guard  against  somebody.  I  asked  them  what 
they  had  been  doing  since  they  left  Rockville,  and 
they  said  not  much  of  anything,  just  traveling 
around.  They  seemed  to  have  plenty  of  money, 
for  just  as  I  went  into  the  shop  I  saw  Merwell  pay 
for  something  from  a  big  roll  of  greenbacks. 

"  '  After  I  left  them,  I  got  a  bit  curious  about 
the  pair,  and  so  I  watched  them  come  from  the 
shop  and  walk  down  to  one  of  the  docks  and  go 
aboard  a  big  four-masted  schooner.  I  hung 
around  a  little  and  pretty  soon  they  came  from  the 
schooner  and  went  up  to  one  of  the  big  hotels,  and 
there  I  lost  sight  of  them.  Each  had  his  little 
valise  with  him,  but  they  weren't  big  enough  for 


I30      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

much  clothing.  My,  but  they  were  scared  I  I 
fancy  they  thought  I  might  pitch  into  them  for 
the  mean  things  they  did  in  the  past.  But  I  didn^t 
want  to  start  any  row.'  " 

"  Is  that  all  he  says?"  demanded  Dave,  after 
the  senator's  son  had  finished. 

"  That's  all  he  says  about  Merwell  and  Jasniff 
and  their  doings." 

'*  Doesn't  he  mention  the  name  of  that  schooner, 
or  the  hotel?  "  asked  Phil. 

"  No." 

"  Did  you  say  Luke  was  going  to  Jackson- 
ville?" asked  our  hero. 

"  Yes,  his  whole  family  are  down  there." 

"  Then  I  could  telegraph  to  him  and  he  could 
give  me  the  name  of  the  hotel,  and  of  the 
schooner." 

"  Dave,  what  do  you  make  out  of  this  ?  "  de- 
manded the  senator's  son. 

"  I  make  out  of  it  that  Merwell  and  Jasniff 
are  guilty  I  "  burst  out  Dave.  "  They  went  from 
here  to  Florida,  and  now  they  have  either  gone  to 
sea,  or  are  going,  as  soon  as  that  schooner  sails. 
Do  you  notice  what  Luke  says  about  their  being 
scared  almost  to  death  when  they  saw  him  ?  They 
evidently  thought  some  of  us,  or  the  officers  of  the 
law,  were  with  him." 

"  And  the  little  valises  1 "  burst  out  the  ship- 


OFF  FOR  THE  SOUTH  131 

owner's  son.  "  Perhaps  they  contain  the 
jewels !  " 

"  Would  they  be  foolish  enough  to  carry  them 
around  like  that?  "  questioned  Roger.  "  Wouldn't 
they  hide  them?  " 

"  They  may  be  looking  for  some  good  hiding- 
place,  or  some  place  where  they  can  sell  them," 
answered  Dave.  "  Remember,  Jasniff  and  Mer- 
well  are  green  at  this  business — they  wouldn't  go 
at  it  hke  professionals.  If  they  were  professionals, 
they  wouldn't  have  acted  so  scared." 

"That  is  true.  What  will  you  do,  tell  Mr. 
Wadsworth  of  this  ?  " 

"  I  think  I'll  tell  my  father  and  my  Uncle 
Dunston  first.  Mr.  Wadsworth  doesn't  place 
much  credit  in  the  story  of  Merwell  and  Jasniff's 
guilt.  He  thinks  the  detectives  are  on  the  right 
track." 

"  Well,  possibly  they  are,"  admitted  Phil. 
"  But  I  must  say,  this  looks  mighty  suspicious  to 
me. 

"  I  have  half  a  mind  to  take  matters  in  my  own 
hands  and  run  down  to  Jacksonville,"  went  on 
our  hero.  "  Who  knows  but  what  I  might  find 
Merwell  and  Jasniff?  If  I  did,  I  could  stop 
them  and  make  them  give  an  account  of  them- 
selves by  making  that  old  charge  of  abduction 
against  them,  and  that  charge  of  having  used 
my  name." 


132      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Say,  that's  an  idea  I  "  cried  Roger.  "  And 
say,  I'd  like  to  go  with  you." 

"  So  would  I,"  added  Phil.  "  We  might  go 
down  in  one  of  my  father's  ships.'* 

"  Too  slow,  Phil — the  limited  express  for  this 
trip,"  answered  Dave.  "  But  I  must  talk  it  over 
with  dad  first,"  he  added. 

"  We  have  got  over  three  weeks  before  school 
opens  again,"  pursued  the  senator's  son.  "  We 
could  go  down  to  Florida  and  back  easily  in  that 
time." 

Dave's  father  had  gone  to  New  York  on  busi- 
ness, but  came  home  that  evening.  In  the  mean- 
time a  telegram  was  sent  to  Luke  Watson,  ask- 
ing for  the  name  of  the  hotel,  at  which  Merwell 
and  Jasniff  had  stopped,  and  of  the  schooner. 

Dave's  father  and  his  uncle  listened  closely  to 
what  he  had  to  tell,  and  to  the  reading  of  the  let- 
ter from  Luke  Watson.  They  talked  the  affair 
over  for  an  hour  with  the  boys. 

"  You  may  be  right,  boys,"  said  Mr.  Porter, 
at  last.  "  And  it  may  be  a  good  plan  to  follow 
those  rascals  up.  But  I  don't  think  I  would  bother 
Mr.  Wadsworth  about  it.  He  received  a  tele- 
gram from  one  of  the  detectives,  and  the  officer 
is  more  sure  than  ever  that  he  is  on  the  right 
track.  He  caught  Red  Andrews  pawning  a  fair- 
sized  diamond,  and  he  thinks  the  gem  is  from  the 
Carwith  collection." 


OFF  FOR  THE  SOUTH  133 

"  Can't  he  make  Red  Andrews  confess?  "  asked 
Dave. 

"  Unfortunately  the  rascal  got  away  when  on  the 
way  to  the  police-station.  But  the  detective  feels 
he  can  soon  round  him  up  again." 

Dave  looked  thoughtfully  out  of  the  window 
and  tapped  the  table  with  his  fingers. 

"You  still  think  Merwell  and  Jasniff  guilty?" 
remarked  his  uncle,  with  a  smile. 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Dunston.  After  what  Hooker 
Montgomery  said,  I'll  think  them  guilty  until 
somebody  proves  otherwise." 

"  Then  I  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  boys,"  said 
Dunston  Porter.  "  I'll  take  a  trip  down  to  Florida 
with  you  and  look  into  this  matter.  I'd  rather  be 
on  the  move  than  sitting  still  waiting  for  some- 
thing to  turn  up." 

"Will  you  go?"  cried  Dave,  eagerly. 

"  I  will." 

"When?" 

"  As  soon  as  you  wish,  and  we  can  get  train 
accommodations." 

"  Hadn't  we  better  wait  until  we  hear  from 
Luke?"  suggested  Roger. 

"  No,  let  us  get  ofif  at  once !  "  exclaimed  Dave. 
"If  he  sends  word  after  we  are  gone,  it  can  be 
forwarded  to  us."     And  so  it  was  arranged. 

Great  was  the  surprise  of  the  Wadsworths  and 
of  Laura  when  the  boys  and  Dunston  Porter  an- 


134      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

nounced  that  they  were  going  to  start  for  Florida 
the  next  morning. 

"  Why,  Dave?  "  asked  Jessie.  "  Why  are  you 
going  in  such  a  hurry  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  hardly  care  to  tell,  Jessie,"  he  answered. 
"  It  may  prove  only  a  wild  goose  chase." 

"  It  is  about  the  missing  jewels?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  you  are  after  Merwell  and  Jasniff." 

"  Yes,  but  please  don't  tell  any  outsiders." 

"  Oh,  Dave,  don't  get  into  any  trouble  I  "  cried 
the  girl,  as  she  clung  to  him.  "  They  are  such  bad 
fellows  I  You  know  what  they  have  done  to  you  in 
the  past  I  " 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  them." 

"  Oh,  I  know  how  brave  you  are,  Dave  I  But — 
but  don't  let  them  harm  you — for  my  sake, 
please  1  "  And  then  the  tears  came  into  her  eyes 
and  she  hid  her  face  on  his  arm. 

"  There !  there !  don't  worry  I  "  he  said,  as  he 
bent  over  her,  and  then  he  kissed  her  forehead. 
"  We'll  be  back  before  long,"  and  he  gave  her  a 
little  hug.     Then  the  others  came  in. 

Laura  was  also  worried,  but  glad  that  her  uncle 
would  be  along.  She  helped  Dave  to  pack  his 
suit-case.  Phil  and  Roger  also  packed  up,  and 
sent  word  home  regarding  the  proposed  trip.  As 
my  old  readers  know,  all  the  boys  were  well-to-do, 
so  the  expenses  did  not  bother  them. 


OFF  FOR  THE  SOUTH  135 

At  breakfast  time  the  following  morning  came 
a  telegram  from  Luke  Watson.  It  read  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  The  hotel  was  the  Castor.  Think  schooner 
was  the  Emma  Brown,  or  Black,  or  Jones.  Com- 
mon name." 

"  Well,  that  isn't  very  definite,  but  it  is  some- 
thing to  work  on,"  remarked  Dunston  Porter. 

Soon  the  party  of  four  were  ready  to  start. 
There  was  a  general  hand-shaking  and  also  a  few 
kisses. 

"  Well,  have  a  good  time,  even  if  you  don't 
catch  those  fellows,"  said  Mrs.  Wadsworth. 

"  Keep  out  of  trouble,"  warned  Laura. 

"  Yes,  yes,  don't  let  them  harm  you,"  pleaded 
timid  Jessie. 

"  And  let  us  hear  from  you  often,"  said  Mr. 
Porter. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  say  about  this,"  said 
Oliver  Wadsworth,  shaking  his  head,  slowly. 
"  But  if  you  do  get  on  the  track  of  those  jewels, 
leave  no  stone  unturned  to  get  them." 

*'  Leave  that  to  me,  Mr.  Wadsworth,"  said 
Dunston  Porter.  "If  we  find  those  young  men 
have  the  gems — or  had  them — we'll  get  them 
back,  never  fear."  And  he  spoke  in  a  tone  that 
showed  he  meant  what  he  said. 


136      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

They  went  to  the  depot  in  the  family  sleigh. 
Ben  had  heard  of  their  going  away  and  was  there 
to  see  them  off.  Soon  the  train  rolled  in  that  was 
to  carry  the  travelers  to  New  York  City. 

"  Good-by  I  "  cried  the  boys,  as  they  clambered 
aboard  the  car. 

"  Good-by  1  "  called  Ben.  "  I  wish  you  luck." 
And  then  the  girls  waved  their  hands,  and  the 
train  moved  off,  slowly  at  first  and  then  faster 
and  faster,  until  Crumville  was  left  behind. 

"  It's  a  great  trip  they  are  taking,"  said  Ben, 
to  Laura  and  Jessie.    "  Wish  I  was  going  along." 

"Why  didn't  you  go?"  questioned  Laura. 

"  Oh,  I've  got  some  things  to  do  at  home,'* 
answered  Ben.  He  did  not  care  to  add  that  his 
father  did  not  wish  to  stand  the  extra  expense. 
Mr.  Basswood  was  fairly  well-to-do,  but  thought 
he  was  spending  enough  on  his  son  by  sending  him 
to  boarding-school. 

The  sleigh  was  about  to  drive  off  when  the 
station  agent  came  running  out,  waving  a  yellow 
envelope. 

"  Is  Mr.  Wadsworth  here?"  he  questioned,  of 
Jessie. 

"  No,  Mr.  Mack,  my  father  went  to  business. 
What  is  it,  a  telegram?" 

"  Yes, — something  very  important  too." 

"  Then  give  it  to  me  and  I  will  take  it  to  him 
at  once." 


OFF  FOR  THE  SOUTH  137 


"  I  could  send  it,  but " 

"  Never  mind.  Here,  I  will  sign  for  it,"  and 
Jessie  did  so.  Then  the  whip  cracked  and  the 
horses  started  for  the  jewelry  works  on  a  gallop. 

When  Jessie  handed  the  telegram  to  her  father 
he  opened  it  and  read  the  contents  eagerly.  His 
face  lit  up. 

"  This  is  good  news !  "  he  cried.  "  Good  news ! 
I  must  go  to  Boston  at  once." 

"  Have  they  found  the  jewels?  "  questioned  his 
daughter. 

"  The  detective  thinks  he  has  located  them. 
Yes,  I  must  go  at  once."  And  Mr.  Wadsworth 
hurried  off  to  prepare  for  the  journey. 


CHAPTER  XV 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  WHITE  MICE 

DuNSTON  Porter  and  the  boys  were  to  go  to 
New  York  City  and  there  transfer  to  Jersey  City 
for  the  train  bound  South.  All  had  comfortable 
seats  together. 

*'  It's  going  to  be  quite  a  trip,"  said  Roger,  as 
he  settled  back  to  gaze  at  the  swiftly-moving  pano- 
rama of  fields  covered  with  snow. 

*'  Yes,  and  we  are  going  to  journey  from  winter 
into  summer,"  added  Phil.  "  It's  good  we  re- 
membered that  when  we  packed  our  suit-cases.  At 
first  I  was  going  to  put  in  nothing  but  heavy  cloth- 
ing." 

"  I  am  glad  we  heard  from  Luke,"  said  Dave. 
"  That  gives  us  a  little  to  work  on.  I  hope  the 
Emma  Brown,  or  whatever  her  name  may  be, 
hasn't  sailed  yet." 

"  Won't  Merwell  and  Jasniff  be  surprised  if 
we  do  locate  them?"  said  the  senator's  son.  "  I 
suppose  they  think  we  are  at  home." 

The  car  was  only  half-filled  with  passengers, 
so  the  boys  and  Dunston  Porter  had  plenty  of 
room,  and  they  moved  around  from  one  seat  to 

IS8 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  WHITE  MICE     139 

another.  So  the  time  passed  quickly  enough,  un- 
til they  rolled  into  the  Grand  Central  Station,  in 
New  York. 

"  Well,  little  old  New  York  looks  as  busy  as 
ever,"  was  Phil's  comment,  as  they  stepped  out 
on  the  street.  "  Are  we  to  transfer  to  Jersey  City 
at  once?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Dunston  Porter.  *'  We'll  take 
the  subway  and  the  river  tube,  and  get  there  in 
no  time." 

Riding  through  the  tube  under  the  Hudson 
River  was  a  new  experience  for  the  lads  and  they 
rather  enjoyed  it.  The  train  of  steel  cars  rushed 
along  at  a  good  rate  of  speed,  and  almost  before 
they  knew  it,  they  were  in  New  Jersey  and  being 
hoisted  up  in  an  elevator  to  the  train-shed. 

"  Coast  Line  Express  I  "  was  the  cry  at  one  of 
the  numerous  gates  to  the  tracks,  and  thither  the 
party  hurried.  Willing  porters  took  their  bag- 
gage, and  a  minute  later  they  found  themselves  in 
an  elegant  Pullman  car.  Dunston  Porter  had  tele- 
graphed ahead  for  sleeping  accommodations,  and 
they  had  two  double  seats  opposite  each  other, 
directly  in  the  middle  of  the  car. 

"  All  aboard !  "  sang  out  the  conductor,  about 
ten  minutes  later,  and  then  the  long  train  rolled 
slowly  from  the  big  train-shed,  and  the  trip  to 
Florida  could  be  said  to  have  fairly  begun. 

"  Do  we  go  by  the  way  of  Philadelphia  and 


140      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Washington?"  asked  Phil,  who  had  not  taken 
the  time  to  study  the  route. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Dunston  Porter.  "  Here  is 
a  time-table.  That  will  show  you  the  whole  route 
and  tell  you  just  when  we  get  to  each  place." 

"Will  we  have  to  make  any  changes?"  asked 
Roger. 

"  None  whatever." 

Soon  the  train  had  left  Jersey  City  behind  and 
a  little  later  it  stopped  at  Newark,  and  then  sped 
on  towards  Philadelphia.  By  this  time  it  had 
grown  too  dark  to  see  the  landscape  and  the  boys 
and  Dunston  Porter  retired. 

On  and  on  through  the  long  night  rolled  the 
train,  keeping  fairly  close  to  the  Atlantic  sea-coast. 
With  nothing  to  do,  the  boys  did  not  arise  until 
late  in  the  morning.  They  found  Dave's  uncle  in 
the  lavatory  ahead  of  them,  indulging  in  the  lux- 
ury of  a  shave  with  a  safety  razor. 

"Well,  how  are  you  feeling?"  asked  Dunston 
Porter. 

"  Fine  1  "  cried  Dave. 

"  Couldn't  feel  better,"  added  the  senator's 
son. 

"  Ready  for  a  big  breakfast?  " 

"  I  am,"  answered  Phil,  promptly.  "  Gracious, 
but  traveling  makes  me  hungry!  " 

They  had  to  wait  a  little  before  they  could  get 
seats  together  in  the  dining-car  and  they  amused 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  WHITE  MICE     141 

themselves  by  gazing  at  the  settlements  through 
which  they  were  passing.  Here  and  there  were 
numerous  cabins,  with  hordes  of  colored  children 
playing  about. 

"  This  is  the  Southland,  true  enough,"  observed 
Dave.  "  Just  see  how  happy  those  pickaninnies 
seem  to  be  1  " 

"  Yes,  one  would  almost  envy  their  care-free 
dispositions,"  answered  Dunston  Porter.  *'  Their 
manner  shows  that  it  doesn't  take  money  to  make 
one  happy." 

They  had  passed  through  Richmond  and  were 
now  on  their  way  to  Emporia.  It  was  growing 
steadily  warmer,  and  by  noon  all  were  glad 
enough  to  leave  the  car  and  go  out  on  the  observa- 
tion platform  at  the  end  of  the  train. 

The  next  stop  was  at  Fayetteville  and  after  that 
came  Charleston.  Long  before  this  the  snow  had 
disappeared  and  the  fields  looked  as  green  as  in 
the  fall  at  home. 

"  We'll  be  at  Jacksonville  when  you  wake  up 
in  the  morning,"  said  Dunston  Porter,  as  they 
turned  into  their  berths  the  second  night  on  the 
train. 

"  Good  1  We  can't  get  there  any  too  quick  for 
me !  "  answered  Dave. 

"  You  mustn't  expect  too  much,  Dave.  You 
may  be  bitterly  disappointed,"  remarked  his  uncle, 
gravely. 


142      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Oh,  we've  just  got  to  catch  Merwell  and 
Jasniff,  Uncle  Dunstonl  " 

"  Yes,  but  they  may  not  be  guilty.  You'll  have 
to  go  slow  about  accusing  them." 

"  Well,  I  want  to  catch  them  and  question  them 
anyway.  I  can  have  them  detained  on  the  old 
charge,  you  know — that  is,  if  they  try  to  get 
away  from  me." 

Dave  and  Phil  slept  on  one  side  of  the  car,  with 
Dunston  Porter  and  Roger  on  the  other.  As  the 
steam  heat  was  still  turned  on,  it  was  uncomfort- 
ably warm,  and  as  a  consequence  Dave  was  rather 
restless.  He  tumbled  and  tossed  in  his  berth, 
which  was  the  upper  one,  and  wished  that  the  night 
were  over  and  that  they  were  in  Jacksonville. 

"  Oh,  pshaw !  I  really  must  get  some  sleep !  " 
he  told  himself.  "  If  I  don't,  I'll  be  as  sleepy  as 
an  owl  to-morrow  and  not  fit  to  hunt  up  those 
rascals.  Yes,  I  must  go  to  sleep,"  and  he  did  what 
he  could  to  settle  himself. 

He  had  just  closed  his  eyes  when  a  peculiar 
noise  below  him  made  him  start  up.  Phil  was 
thrashing  around  wildly. 

"What's  the  matter,  Phil?"  he  asked,  in  a 
low  tone. 

"  Something  is  in  my  berth,  some  animal,  or 
something  I"  answered  the  shipowner's  son.  "I 
can't  go  to  sleep  for  it.  Every  time  I  lie  down 
it  begins  to  move." 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  WHITE  MICE     143 

"  Ma.--'-  it's  a  rat." 

"Whoever  heard  of  a  rat  in  a  sleeping-car?" 
snorted  Phil. 

"  Perhaps  you  were  dreaming.  I  didn't  hear 
anything,"  went  on  Dave. 

"  No,  I  wasn't  dreaming — I  heard  it  as  plain 
as  day." 

"  Better  go  to  bed  and  forget  it,  Phil,"  and 
then  Dave  lay  down  again.  The  shipowner's 
son  grumbled  a  little  under  his  breath,  then  turned 
off  his  electric  light,  and  sank  on  his  pillow  once 
more. 

Dave  remained  quiet  for  several  minutes  and 
then  sat  bolt  upright  and  gave  a  low  cry.  There 
was  no  mistake  about  it,  something  had  mgved 
over  his  feet  and  given  him  a  slight  nip  in  the 
toe. 

"  Phil !  "  he  called,  softly.  "  Did  you  do  that? 
Come,  no  fooling  now.  This  is  no  place  for 
jokes." 

"Do  what?" 

"  Pinch  me  in  the  toe." 

"  I  haven't  touched  your  toe.  How  can  I  from 
the  lower  berth?  " 

"  Well,  something  nipped  me." 

"  Maybe  it's  you  who  are  dreaming  this  trip, 
Dave,"  returned  the  shipowner's  son,  with  par- 
donable sarcasm. 

Dave  did  not  reply,  for  just  then  he  felt  some- 


144      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

thing  moving  in  the  blanket.  He  mad'-  .'  clutch 
for  it.    A  little  squeak  followed. 

"I've  got  it,  Phil  I" 

"What  is  it?" 

"  I  don't  know  yet — it's  in  the  blanket." 

"  Oh,  what  a  noise !  "  came  from  the  berth  be- 
yond. "Cannot  you  young  men  be  quiet?"  It 
was  a  woman  who  was  speaking.  She  was  an 
elderly  person  and  Dave  had  noticed,  during  the 
day,  that  she  was  rather  sour-looking. 

"  Sorry,  madam,  but  I've  just  caught  some- 
thing in  my  berth,"  answered  Dave.  "I'll  turn 
up  the  light  and  see  what  it  is,"  he  added,  as  he 
held  on  to  the  object  in  the  blanket  with  one  hand 
and'  turned  on  the  electric  illumination  with  the 
other. 

The  cries  and  talking  had  awakened  half  a 
dozen  people  and  the  sleepy  porter  came  down 
the  aisle  to  find  out  what  was  wrong. 

"  It's  a  mouse — a  white  mouse  I  "  cried  Dave,  as 
the  little  creature  was  uncovered. 

"  Wot's  dat,  a  mouse  I  "  exclaimed  the  porter. 
"  Nebber  heard  of  sech  a  t'ingi  How  did  he  git 
yeah?" 

"Don't  ask  me,"  replied  Dave.  "Ugh I  he 
nipped  me  in  the  toe,  too  1  " 

"  Here's  another  one  I  "  roared  Phil.  "  Ran 
right  across  my  arm  1    Take  that,  you  little  imp  1  " 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  WHITE  MICE     145 

he  added,  and  bang !  one  of  his  shoes  hit  the  wood- 
work of  the  car. 

*'  A  mouse !  "  shrieked  the  elderly  woman. 
"Did  you  say  a  mouse,  young  man?" 

"  I  did — and  there  is  more  than  one,  too,"  an- 
swered Dave,  for  he  had  felt  another  movement 
at  his  feet.  He  lost  no  time  in  scrambling  up, 
and  Phil  followed. 

By  this  time  the  whole  sleeping-car  was  in  an 
uproar.  Everybody  who  heard  the  word  "  mouse  " 
felt  certain  one  of  the  creatures  must  be  in  his 
or  her  berth. 

"Porter!  porter!  save  me!"  screamed  the 
elderly  lady.  "  Oh,  mice,  just  think  of  it  I  "  And 
wrapping  her  dressing-gown  around  her,  she  leaped 
from  her  berth  and  sped  for  the  ladies'  room. 
Others  also  got  up,  including  Dunston  Porter  and 
Roger. 

"What  am  I  going  to  do  with  this  fellow?" 
asked  Dave,  as  he  held  the  mouse  up  in  his  vest. 

"  Better  throw  it  out  of  a  window,"  suggested 
his  uncle.  "  Mice  in  a  sleeper!  This  is  certainly 
the  limit!"  he  muttered.  "The  railroad  com- 
pany better  get  a  new  system  of  cleaning." 

"  Mice !  "  screamed  a  young  lady.  "  Oh,  I 
shall  die !  "  she  shrieked,  and  looked  ready  to 
faint. 

"  Shoot  'em,  why  don't  you  ?  "  suggested  a  fat 


146      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

man,  who  came  forth  from  his  berth  wearing  a 
blanket,  Indian  fashion. 

By  this  time  Phil  had  caught  one  of  the  crea- 
tures. Both  he  and  Dave  started  for  the  rear  of 
the  car,  to  throw  the  mice  off  the  train. 

"  Stop  I  stop  I  I  beg  of  you,  don't  kill  those 
mice !  "  came  suddenly  from  a  tall,  thin  young  man 
who  had  been  sleeping  in  a  berth  at  the  end  of 
the  car.  Dave  had  noticed  him  during  the  day  and 
had  put  him  down  as  a  preacher  or  actor. 

"Why  not?"  asked  our  hero. 

"  They  are  mine,  that's  why,"  said  the  man. 
"  I  would  not  have  them  killed  for  a  thousand  dol- 
lars I  " 

"Say,  wot  yo'-all  talkin'  about?"  demanded 
the  porter.    "  Dem  mice  yours  ?  " 

"  Yes  I  yes !  Oh,  please  do  not  kill  them !  " 
pleaded  the  tall,  thin  man.  "  They  won't  hurt 
anybody,   really  they  won't." 

"Say,  are  them  white  mice  educated?"  de- 
manded the  fat  man. 

"  Indeed  they  are-  -I  educated  them  myself," 
answered  the  other  man.  "  I  spent  months  in 
doing  it,  too.  They  are  the  best-educated  white 
mice  in  the  United  States,"  he  added,  proudly. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

PICKING    UP   THE    TRAIL 

The  announcement  that  the  mice  that  had  been 
caught  in  the  car  were  educated  filled  the  boys 
with  interest,  but  it  did  not  lessen  their  indigna- 
tion nor  that  of  the  other  passengers. 

"  The  idea  of  mice  on  the  train,  even  if  they 
are  educated!  "  shrilled  the  elderly  lady. 

"  It's  outrageous!  "  stormed  another  lady.  "  I 
never  heard  of  such  a  thing  in  all  my  life!  " 

"  Say,  you  must  take  this  for  a  cattle  train  1  " 
remarked  the  fat  man,  bluntly.  "  If  you  do,  you've 
got  another  guess  coming." 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  sweet  mice,"  said  the  tall,  slim 
man,  as  he  took  the  animal  from  Dave  and  also 
the  one  that  Phil  was  holding.  "  That  is  King 
Hal  and  this  one  is  President  Tom!  They  are 
both  highly  educated.     They  can " 

"  Say,  howsoeber  did  yo'-all  git  dem  trash  in 
dis  cah!  "  demanded  the  porter. 

"  I — er — I  had  them  in  a  cage  in  my — er — In 
my  suit-case,"  the  owner  of  the  mice  answered,  and 
now  his  voice  faltered.  "  I  really  didn't  think 
they  would  get  out." 

M7 


148      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  We  don't  allow  no  mice  in  de  sleepin'-cahs !  " 
stormed  the  porter.  "  Dogs,  an'  cats,  an'  parrots, 
an'  mice  goes  in  de  baggage-cah." 

"Are  there  any  more  of  them  loose?"  asked 
one  of  the  ladies. 

"  I  will  see  1 "  cried  the  tall,  slim  man.  "  I 
forgot  about  that!  Oh,  I  hope  they  are  safe! 
If  they  are  not,  what  shall  I  do?  I  have  an  en- 
gagement in  Jacksonville,  and  another  in  St. 
Augustine,  to  fill." 

"  Do  you  show  'em  on  the  stage?  "  snorted  the 
fat  man. 

"  To  be  sure.  Haven't  you  heard  of  me,  Pro- 
fessor Richard  De  Haven,  the  world-famous 
trainer  of  mice,  rats,  and  cats?  I  have  exhibited 
my  mice  in  all  the  countries  of  the  world,  and " 

"  Never  mind  that  just  now,"  interrupted  Duns- 
ton  Porter.  "  Go  and  see  if  the  others  are  safe, 
otherwise  we'll  have  to  round  up  your  live-stock 
before  we  go  to  sleep  again." 

"  Oh,  I  shall  never  sleep  another  wink  in  this 
carl  "  sighed  a  lady. 

"  I  shall !  "  snorted  the  fat  man,  "  or  else  get  the 
price  of  my  berth  out  of  that  chap,  or  the  railroad 
company  I  " 

Professor  De  Haven  ran  to  his  berth  and 
dragged  forth  a  dress-suit-case.  A  moment  later 
he  uttered  a  genuine  howl  of  dismay. 

"  They  are  all  gone !  " 


PICKING  UP  THE  TRAIL  149 

"How  many?"  queried  Dave,  who  had  fol- 
lowed him. 

"  Sixteen  of  them,  not  counting  the  two  I  have 
here  now !  O  dear,  what  shall  I  do  ?  "  And  the 
professor  wrung  his  hands  in  despair. 

*'  Sixteen  mice  at  large  I  "  shrieked  one  of  the 
ladies.    "  Oh,  stop  the  train  1    I  want  to  get  off !  " 

"  Can't  stop  no  train  now,"  answered  the  por- 
ter. "  We'se  got  to  jest  catch  dem  mice  some- 
how, but  I  dunno  how  it's  gwine  to  be  done,"  he 
went  on,  scratching  his  woolly  head  in  perplexity. 

"I've  got  a  shotgun  along,"  suggested  the  fat 
man.    "  Might  go  gunning  with  that." 

"  I'll  get  my  cane,"  said  another  man. 

"  I  guess  the  ladies  better  retire  to  the  next 
car,"  suggested  a  third  passenger. 

"  Yes,  yes,  let  us  go,  at  once !  "  cried  the  elderly 
lady.    "  Porter,  can  I  get  a  berth  there?" 

"  Sorry,  missus,  but  I  dun  reckon  all  de  berths 
on  dis  yeah  train  am  tooken." 

"  See  here !  "  cried  Dave,  to  Professor  De 
Haven.  "  If  the  mice  are  educated,  can't  you  call 
them  to  you  in  some  way  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  1  "  cried  the  professor,  struck  by  the 
idea.  "  Why  did  I  not  think  of  that  myself?  I 
was  too  upset  to  think  of  anything.  Yes,  I  can 
whistle  for  them." 

"  Whistle  for  'em  ?  "  snorted  the  fat  man. 

"  Yes,  yes !    I  always  whistle  when  I  feed  them. 


I50      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Please  be  quiet.  I  shall  have  to  whistle  loudly, 
for  the  train  makes  such  a  noise  and  it  may  be 
some  of  my  dear  pets  may  not  hear  me  I  " 

"  Humph  I  Then  you  better  whistle  for  all 
you're  worth  I  "  returned  the  man  of  weight. 

Walking  slowly  up  and  down  the  sleeping-car 
Professor  De  Haven  commenced  to  whistle  in  a 
clear,  steady  trill.  He  kept  this  up  for  fully  a 
minute  and  by  that  time  several  white  mice  had 
shown  themselves.  They  were  somewhat  scared, 
but  gradually  they  came  to  him  and  ran  up  on  his 
shoulders. 

"  Well,  doesn't  that  beat  the  Dutch  1  "  whispered 
Roger,  half  in  admiration. 

"  I  shouldn't  have  been  so  scared  If  I  had  known 
they  were  educated,"  returned  Phil. 

"  Hush  I  "  said  Dave.  "  Give  him  a  chance  to 
gather  them  all  in." 

Placing  the  captured  mice  In  their  cage,  the  pro- 
fessor moved  up  and  down  the  car  once  more, 
opening  the  berth  curtains  as  he  did  so.  He  con- 
tinued to  emit  that  same  clear  trill,  and  soon  his 
shoulders  were  full  of  the  white  mice. 

"  Only  one  is  missing,  little  General  Pinky,"  he 
announced. 

"Spit,  spat,  spowl  Where  did  Pinky  go?" 
murmured  Phil. 

"  Ha  I  I  have  him  I  Dear  little  Pinky !  "  cried 
the  professor,   as  the  mouse   dropped  onto  his 


PICKING  UP  THE  TRAIL  151 

shoulder  from  an  upper  berth.  "  Now  I  have 
them  all,  ladies  and  gentlemen,"  he  announced. 
"  You  can  go  to  sleep  without  alarm.  I  shall  take 
good  care  that  they  do  not  get  away  again." 

"  I  dun  reckon  I'se  gwine  to  take  care  of  dat!  " 
put  in  the  porter.  "  Dem  mice  am  gwine  into  de 
baggage-cah  dis  minit !  " 

"  But,  my  dear  fellow "  broke  in  the  pro- 
fessor. 

"  I  ain't  a-gwine  to  argy  de  question,  mistah. 
Da  is  gwine  in  de  baggage-cah!  "  And  the  porter 
reached  out  and  caught  hold  of  the  cage  containing 
the  mice. 

"  Then  I  shall  go  with  them,"  answered  the 
professor,  resignedly. 

"  Suit  yo'  self,  sah." 

"  But  they  wouldn't  hurt  a  flea  I  " 

"  Can't  help  it,  sah,  it's  de  baggage-cah  fo'  dis 
collection  of  wild  animals,"  answered  the  porter, 
striding  off  with  the  cage  in  his  hands,  while  the 
professor  followed. 

"  Talk  about  something  happening !  "  burst  out 
Roger,  when  the  excitement  was  over.  "  This  was 
the  funniest  experience  I  ever  had." 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  see  anything  funny  about 
it!  "  snapped  the  elderly  lady,  who  overheard  the 
remark.  *'  I  think  that  man  ought  to  be  prose- 
cuted!" 

"  He  didn't  expect  his  mice  to  get  loose,"  said 


152      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Dunston  Porter.  "  Just  the  same,  he  had  no  right 
to  bring  them  in  here.  As  the  porter  said,  all 
animals  must  go  in  the  baggage-car." 

"  Wonder  if  he'll  come  back,"  mused  Phil. 

"  I  doubt  it,"  answered  Dave.  "  Well,  now  I'm 
going  to  try  to  get  a  little  sleep,"  he  added,  as  he 
climbed  back  into  his  berth.  The  others  followed 
suit,  and  presently  one  after  another  dropped  into 
slumber.  It  may  be  added  here  that  Professor 
De  Haven  did  not  show  himself  again  while  on 
the  train,  he  being  afraid  of  the  indignation  of 
those  who  had  been  disturbed  by  his  educated 
mice. 

Early  the  following  morning  found  our  friends 
in  the  city  of  Jacksonville,  which,  as  my  readers 
must  know,  is  located  on  the  St.  John's  River. 
They  did  not  wait  for  breakfast  but  hurried  at 
once  in  the  direction  of  the  Hotel  Castor,  once  a 
leading  hostelry  of  the  city,  but  which  had  seen 
its  best  day. 

"  Quite  a  town,"  remarked  the  senator's  son, 
as  they  passed  along. 

"  Jacksonville  is  now  the  main  city  of  Florida," 
replied  Dunston  Porter.  "  It  is  a  great  shipping 
center,  and  is  also  well-known  as  a  winter 
resort." 

"  How  balmy  the  weather  is  1  "  was  Phil's  com- 
ment.   "  Just  like  spring  at  home !  " 

Dave's  uncle  had  been  in  Jacksonville  several 


PICKING  UP  THE  TRAIL  153 

times  and  knew  the  way  well.  Soon  they  reached 
the  hotel,  and  with  his  heart  beating  loudly,  Dave 
hurried  up  to  the  desk  and  asked  the  clerk  if  Link 
Merwell  and  Nick  Jasniff  were  stopping  there. 

*'  Never  heard  of  them,"  replied  the  clerk,  after 
thinking  a  moment. 

"  I  have  photographs,  perhaps  you  can  tell 
them  from  that,"  went  on  Dave,  and  he  drew  from 
his  pocket  two  photographs,  taken  at  different 
times  at  Oak  Hall.  Each  showed  a  group  of 
students,  and  in  one  group  was  Merwell  and  in 
the  other  Jasniff. 

The  clerk  looked  at  the  pictures  closely. 

"What  is  this,  some  joke?"  he  asked,  sus- 
piciously. 

"  No,  It  is  a  matter  of  great  importance,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  We  must  find  those  two  young 
men  if  we  possibly  can." 

"  Well,  if  they  are  the  pair  who  were  here  some 
days  ago,  you  are  too  late.  But  their  names 
weren't  what  you  said." 

"  What  did  they  call  themselves?  "  asked  Duns- 
ton  Porter. 

"  John  Leeds  and  Samuel  Cross,"  answered  the 
clerk.  "  They  had  Room  87,  and  were  here  two 
days." 

"Do  you  know  where  they  went  to?"  asked 
Phil. 

"  I  do  not." 


154      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Can  you  tell  me  anything  at  all  about  them  ?  '* 
went  on  Dave.    "  It  is  very  important,  indeed." 

"  I  might  as  well  tell  you,"  put  in  Mr.  Porter, 
in  a  low  voice.  "  They  were  a  pair  of  crimi- 
nals." 

"  You  don't  say  1  Well,  do  you  know,  I  didn't 
much  like  their  looks,"  returned  the  clerk.  "  And 
come  to  think  of  it,  one  acted  rather  scared-like, 
the  fellow  calling  himself  Leeds — this  one,"  and 
he  pointed  to  the  picture  of  Link  Merwell. 

"  And  you  haven't  any  idea  where  they  went 
to?" 

"  Not  the  slightest.  They  simply  paid  their 
bill  and  went  away." 

"Did  they  have  any  trunks  sent  off?"  asked 
JRoger.  "  We  might  find  the  expressman,"  he 
explained,  to  the  others. 

"  No,  they  had  nothing  but  hand  baggage." 

"What — can  you  remember  that?  "  questioned 
Dave. 

"Yes,  each  had  a  suit-case  and  a  small  valise, — 
kind  of  a  tool-bag  affair." 

"  Better  look  for  that  schooner,  Dave,"  said 
his  uncle,  in  a  low  voice,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
more  they  left  the  hotel,  telling  the  clerk  that 
they  might  be  back. 

"  Shall  we  get  breakfast  now?  "  questioned  the 
senator's  son.    He  was  beginning  to  grow  hungry. 

"  You  can  get  something  to  eat  if  you  wish. 


PICKING  UP  THE  TRAIL  155 

Roger,"  answered  Dave.  "  I  am  going  to  try  to 
locate  that  schooner  first." 

"  No,  I'll  wait  too,  then,"  said  Roger. 

The  shipping  along  the  St.  John's  River  at  Jack- 
sonville is  rather  extensive.  But  Dunston  Porter 
knew  his  business  and  went  direct  to  one  of  the 
offices  where  he  knew  he  could  find  out  all  about 
the  ships  going  out  under  charter  and  other- 
wise. 

"  We  want  to  find  out  about  a  schooner  named 
the  Emma  Brown,  or  Black,  or  Jones,  or  some 
common  name  like  that,"  said  Dave's  uncle,  to  the 
elderly  man  in  charge.  "  She  was  in  this  harbor 
several  days  ago.  I  don't  know  if  she  has  sailed 
or  not." 

''Emma  Brown,  eh?"  mused  the  shipping- 
clerk.     "  Never  heard  of  such  a  schooner." 

"  Maybe  she  was  the  Emma  Black,  or  Emma 
Jones,"  suggested  Dave. 

"  No  schooner  by  that  name  here, — at  least 
not  for  the  past  month  or  two.  We  had  an  Emma 
Blackney  here  about  six  weeks  ago.  But  she  sailed 
for  Nova  Scotia." 

"  Well,  try  to  think  of  some  ship  that  might  be 
named  something  like  what  we  said,"  pleaded 
Dave.     "  This  is  very  important." 

"  A  ship  that  might  have  sailed  from  here  in 
the  past  two  or  three  days,"  added  Roger. 

The  elderly  shipping-clerk  leaned  back  in  his 


156      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

chair  and  ran  his  hand  through  his  hair,  thought- 
fully. 

"  Maybe  you're  looking  for  the  Emma 
Brower,"  he  said.  "  But  she  isn't  a  schooner, 
she's  a  bark.  She  left  this  port  yesterday  morn- 
ing." 

"Bound  for  where?"  asked  Dave,  eagerly. 

"  Bound  for  Barbados." 

"Where  is  that?"  questioned  Phil.  "  IVe 
heard  of  the  place,  but  I  can't  just  locate  it." 

"  It's  an  island  of  the  British  West  Indies," 
answered  Dunston  Porter.  "  It  lies  about  five  hun- 
dred miles  southeast  of  Porto  Rico." 

"If  that's  the  case,  then  good-by  to  Merwell 
and  Jasniff,"  murmured  Phil.  "  We'll  never  catch 
them  in  the  wide  world." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

MEETING  OLD  FRIENDS 

"  They  may  have  gone  on  some  other  vessel," 
remarked  Roger,  after  a  pause.  *'  Let  us  find  out 
what  other  ships  have  left  here  during  the  past 
few  days." 

"  Say,"  said  Phil,  to  the  elderly  shipping-clerk. 
"  Maybe  you  know  my  father  or  some  of  the 
captains  working  for  him.  His  name  is  Lawrence, 
of  the  Lawrence  Lines." 

"  Indeed !  "  cried  the  shipping-clerk.  "  Well, 
of  course  I  know  him !  Are  you  Phil  Lawrence?  " 
he  questioned,  eagerly. 

"  I  am." 

"  Now  isn't  that  strange!  "  The  man  put  out 
his  hand.  "  I  don't  suppose  you  know  me.  My 
name  is  Sam  Castner.  I  was  once  a  supercargo 
for  your  father,  on  the  Arvinus.  You  took  a  trip 
in  her  with  your  mother,  when  you  were  about  ten 
years  old, — down  to  Tampa  and  back,  from  Phila- 
delphia." 

"  That's  right,  so  I  did!  "  cried  the  shipowner's 
son.  "  I  remember  you  now.  We  went  fishing 
together." 

157 


158      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  So  we  did,  Mr.  Lawrence.  My,  how  you've 
grown  since  then  1  "  added  the  former  supercargo, 
as  he  gazed  at  Phil's  tall  and  well-built  form. 

"  Mr.  Castner,  we  are  in  a  hurry,  and  maybe 
you  can  help  us  a  good  deal,"  went  on  Phil.  "  We 
are  after  two  fellows  who  we  think  sailed  in 
that  schooner,  or  bark,  or  some  vessel  that  left 
here  within  the  past  two  days.  They  were  young 
fellows,  not  much  older  than  us  boys.  Will  you 
aid  us  in  getting  on  their  track?  " 

"  Sure  I  will,"  was  the  ready  answer.  "  What 
do  you  know  about  'em  ?  " 

"  All  we  know  is  that  they  went  under  the 
names  of  Leeds  and  Cross,"  answered  Dave. 
"  But  those  are  not  their  right  names." 

"  And  that  they  are  supposed  to  have  sailed  on 
the  ship  known  by  a  common  name — Emma  some- 
thing or  other,"  put  in  Roger. 

"  I  can  soon  find  out  who  sailed  on  the  Emma 
Brower,"  answered  Sam  Castner.  *'  Come  with 
me  to  the  next  shipping  office." 

He  called  another  clerk  to  take  charge,  and 
accompanied  the  party  to  the  next  shipping  office. 
On  the  way  he  was  introduced  to  Dave  and  the 
others. 

"  One  of  your  father's  vessels  is  in  this  harbor 
now,"  he  said  to  Phil. 

"What  ship  is  that?" 

"  The  Golden  Eagle,  Captain  Sanders." 


MEETING  OLD  FRIENDS  159 

"  Captain  Sanders !  "  cried  Dave.  "  Do  you 
mean  Bob  Sanders,  who  used  to  sail  on  the  Stormy 
Petrel  with  Captain  Marshall?" 

"  The  same,  Mr.  Porter.  Then  you  know 
him?" 

"Indeed  I  do!"  returned  Dave.  "Why,  I 
sailed  with  him  in  the  South  Seas  I  " 

"  Well,  he's  here." 

"  We'll  have  to  try  to  see  him  before  we  leave," 
said  Phil.    "  He  was  a  nice  fellow." 

At  the  second  shipping  office  further  inquiries 
were  made  concerning  the  sailing  of  the  Emma 
Brower.  It  was  learned  that  the  bark,  had  car- 
ried not  more  than  half  a  cargo  for  Barbados 
and  eight  passengers.  The  names  of  Merwell, 
Jasniff,  Leeds,  or  Cross  did  not  appear  on  the 
passenger  list. 

"Did  anybody  here  see  those  passengers?" 
asked  Dunston  Porter. 

"  I  did,"  returned  a  young  clerk.  "  I  was 
aboard  just  before  she  sailed,  and  I  saw  all  of 
them." 

"Were  there  two  young  fellows,  chums?" 
asked  Dave. 

"  There  were,  two  tall  chaps,  a  bit  older  than 
you." 

"  Did  they  look  like  these  fellows?  "  and  now 
our  hero  brought  out  the  photographs  he  had  used 
before. 


i6o      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  They  certainly  did !  "  cried  the  clerk.  "  I 
remember  this  fellow  distinctly,"  and  he  pointed 
to  Jasnifif's  picture,  taken  just  before  that  individ- 
ual had  run  away  from  Oak  Hall. 

"Then  they  sailed,  just  as  we  feared  I"  re- 
turned Dave,  and  there  was  something  like  a  groan 
in  his  voice. 

"  Wonder  If  they  took  the  jewels,"  murmured 
Roger. 

"  Most  likely,  Roger,"  answered  Dunston  Por- 
ter. 

"  But  what  would  they  do  with  them  In  such  an 
out-of-the-way  place  as  Barbados?" 

"  I  rather  imagine  their  plan  Is  to  keep  quiet 
for  a  while,  until  this  affair  blows  over.  Then 
they'll  either  return  to  the  United  States,  or  take 
a  British  vessel  for  England.  Barbados  is  an 
English  possession,  you  must  remember,  and  a 
regular  line  of  steamers  sail  from  there  to  Eng- 
land." 

"  I  wonder  If  we  couldn't  charter  a  steam  tug 
and  go  after  the  bark?  "  mused  Dave. 

"  It  might  be  done,"  returned  his  uncle.  "  But 
I  doubt  if  we  could  catch  the  bark,  or  even  locate 
her.    She  has  too  much  of  a  start." 

"  Was  the  bark  going  to  stop  at  any  ports 
along  the  way?  "  asked  Phil. 

"  She  was  not,"  answered  the  young  shipping- 
clerk. 


MEETING  OLD  FRIENDS  i6i 

"  Then  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  to  sail  for 
Barbados  after  them!"  cried  Dave. 

"Sail  after  them — that  far!"  ejaculated  the 
senator's  son. 

"  Yes,  Roger.  Of  course  you  haven't  got  to  go, 
or  Phil  either.  But  I  think  my  uncle  and  I  ought 
to  go  after  'em.  Don't  you  think  so,  Uncle  Duns- 
ton?" 

"  I  don't  know — perhaps,"  was  the  slow  reply. 
"  We  had  better  make  a  few  more  inquiries  first, 
Dave." 

"  Oh,  yes,  let  us  find  out  all  we  can  about  Mer- 
well  and  Jasniff." 

They  left  the  shipping  office  and  walked  back 
to  the  hotel.  Here  they  had  a  late  breakfast  and 
then  commenced  to  make  diligent  inquiries  con- 
cerning all  the  movements  of  Merwell  and  Jas- 
niff. They  soon  learned  that  the  pair  had  had 
plenty  of  money  to  spend,  and  that  they  had 
bought  many  things  for  the  trip  to  Barbados, 
even  taking  along  an  extra  supply  of  the  Turkish 
cigarettes  that  came  in  the  boxes  with  bands  of 
blue  and  gold. 

"  I  think  that  that  proves  my  clew  of  the  cigar- 
ette box  is  correct,"  said  Dave. 

They  visited  the  local  pawnbrokers,  and  from 
one  of  them  learned  that  Merwell  had  pawned 
two  diamonds  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 
The  rascal  had  told  the  pawnbroker  that  the  gems 


i62      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

were  the  property  of  a  rich  lady  who  was  awaiting 
a  remittance  from  France. 

"  Do  these  diamonds  belong  to  the  Carwith  col- 
lection? "  asked  Roger. 

"  That  remains  to  be  found  out,"  answered 
Dunston  Porter,  and  then  he  told  the  pawnbroker 
to  be  sure  and  not  let  the  gems  go  out  of  his 
possession  until  a  further  investigation  could  be 
made.  The  man  grumbled  somewhat,  but  when 
Dave's  uncle  spoke  about  calling  in  the  officers  of 
the  law,  he  subsided. 

"  Very  well,  FU  keep  them,"  he  said.  "  And  if 
anything  is  wrong,  I'll  do  what  the  law  requires, 
even  if  I  lose  by  it." 

"  Let  us  visit  the  Golden  Eagle  and  see  Bob 
Sanders,"  said  Phil,  late  in  the  afternoon.  "  Per- 
haps he  knows  something  about  the  Emma  Brower, 
and  her  trip." 

The  others  were  willing,  and  sundown  found 
them  aboard  the  vessel  belonging  to  Phil's  father. 
Hardly  had  they  stepped  on  deck  when  a  grizzled 
old  tar,  with  white  hair,  rushed  up  to  Dave. 

"  If  it  ain't  Dave  Porter  I  "  he  burst  out.  "  Yes, 
sir,  Dave,  wot  I  haven't  seen  in  a  year  o'  Sundays ! 
How  be  you,  my  boy?  "  And  he  caught  the  youth 
by  both  hands. 

"  Billy  Dill !  "  exclaimed  our  hero,  as  his  face 
lit  up  with  pleasure.     "  Where  in  the  world  did 


MEETING  OLD  FRIENDS  163 

you  drop  from  ?    I  thought  you  had  given  up  the 
sea. 

Billy  Dill,  as  my  old  readers  will  remember, 
was  the  tar  who  aided  Dave  in  locating  his  Uncle 
Dunston.  As  related  in  "  Dave  Porter  in  the 
South  Seas,"  Billy  Dill  had  traveled  with  our  hero 
to  that  portion  of  the  globe,  in  the  Stormy  Petrel, 
of  which  Bob  Sanders  was,  at  the  time,  second 
mate.  On  returning  home,  the  old  tar  had  been 
placed  in  a  sanitarium  and  then  a  sailors'  home, 
and  Dave  had  imagined  he  was  still  in  the  latter 
retreat. 

"  Couldn't  give  up  the  sea,  Dave,"  replied  the 
old  sailor.  "  I  tried  my  best,  but  it  wasn't  no  use. 
So  I  goes  to  Phil's  old  man,  an'  I  says,  says  I, 
*  Give  me  a  berth  an'  anything  I'm  wuth,'  an'  he 
says,  says  he,  '  How  would  ye  like  to  sail  with 
Cap'n  Sanders,  wot  sailed  with  you  to  the  South 
Seas  ?  '  '  Fust-rate,'  says  I ;  an'  here  I  be,  an'  likes 
it  very  much." 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  to  see  you  looking  so  well," 
answered  Dave. 

"  It's  the  sea  air  done  it,  lad.  When  I  was 
ashore  I  jest  knowed  I  wanted  sea  air.  No  more 
homes  ashore  fer  Billy  Dill,  not  much  I  "  And  the 
old  tar  shook  his  head  with  conviction. 

A  few  minutes  later,  while  the  old  sailor  was 
shaking  hands  with  the  others,  and  asking  and 


i64      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

answering  questions,  the  captain  of  the  ship  came 
up. 

"  Very  glad  indeed  to  see  you  again,"  said 
Captain  Sanders,  with  a  broad  smile.  He  looked 
closely  at  the  boys.  "  Grown  some  since  I  saw  you 
last." 

"  And  you  have  advanced,  too,"  answered  Dave, 
with  a  grin.  "  Let  me  congratulate  you  on  be- 
coming a  captain,  Mr.  Sanders." 

"  It's  all  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Lawrence 
and  Captain  Marshall.  If  it  wasn't  for  them,  I 
shouldn't  be  in  this  berth." 

*'  How  is  Captain  Marshall?"  asked  our  hero. 
The  man  mentioned  was  the  commander  of  the 
ship  in  which  Dave  had  sailed  to  the  South 
Seas. 

"  First-rate,  the  last  I  heard  of  him.  He  sailed 
from  San  Francisco  to  Manila  ten  days  ago." 

"  Captain  Sanders,  what  port  are  you  bound 
for  next?"  questioned  Phil,  after  greetings  had 
been  exchanged  all  around  and  a  number  of  other 
questions  had  been  asked. 

"  No  port  as  yet,  Phil.    I'm  waiting  for  orders." 

"  Have  you  any  idea  where  you  may  go  to?  " 

*'  Something  was  said  about  a  cargo  for  Porto 
Rico.  But  nothing  was  settled.  I'll  know  in  a 
couple  of  days,  I  think." 

*'  Do  any  of  our  ships  ever  sail  to  Barbados?  " 

"Not  very  often.     I  could  have  had  a  cargo 


MEETING  OLD  FRIENDS  165 

for  that  port  from  here,  but  the  firm  didn't  take 
it,  and  it  went  to  the  Emma  Brower." 

"  The  very  ship  we  are  after  I  "  murmured 
Dave. 

"  Could  you  get  another  cargo  for  Barbados, 
do  you  think?  " 

"  I  don't  know — maybe.    Why?" 

"  We  want  to  go  there !  " 

*'  You  do !    That  isn't  much  of  a  place." 

"  But  we  have  a  reason  for  wanting  to  go," 
went  on  Phil.  And  then,  knowing  he  could  trust 
Captain  Sanders,  he  told  the  story  of  the  stolen 
gems  and  the  search  for  Merwell  and  Jasniff. 

"  Humph !  that's  a  queer  yarn,"  mused  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Golden  Eagle.  "  Supposing  I  got  a 
cargo  for  that  port — you'd  go  along  ?  " 

"  I  would,"  answered  the  shipowner's  son, 
promptly.  "  That  is,  if  dad  would  let  me — and 
I'm  sure  he  would." 

"  So  would  I  go,"  added  Dave. 

"  I'd  have  to  go — to  look  after  the  others,"  said 
Dunston  Porter,  with  a  smile. 

"  Well,  you  can't  leave  me  in  the  cold,"  came 
from  Roger.     "  If  the  rest  went,  I'd  go  too." 

"  Come  down  to  the  cabin  and  talk  it  over," 
said  Captain  Sanders,  and  led  the  way  across  the 
deck  and  down  the  companionway. 

Once  below  they  were  invited  to  remain  to  sup- 
per and  did  so.    While  at  the  meal  the  boys  and 


i66      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Dunston  Porter  told  all  they  knew  concerning  the 
case  against  Merwell  and  Jasniff,  and  the  captain 
told  what  he  knew  about  the  Emma  Brower  and 
her  commander. 

"  I  am  going  to  telegraph  to  my  father  about 
this,"  said  Phil,  a  little  later.  "  If  this  vessel  can 
get  a  cargo  for  Barbados  she  might  as  well  sail 
for  that  port  as  anywhere." 

"  Well,  I'm  willing,"  answered  Captain  San- 
ders.   "  When  will  you  send  word  to  him  ?  " 

"  Right  away — I'll  send  him  a  telegram  at 
once." 

"  I  hope  it  turns  out  all  right,"  said  Dave.  "  I 
feel  it  is  my  duty  to  get  after  Merwell  and  Jas- 
niff, and  do  it  as  soon  as  possible." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

OFF  FOR   BARBADOS 

The  next  three  days  were  busy  ones  for  the 
boys  and  Dunston  Porter.  Telegrams  were  sent 
back  and  forth  between  Phil  and  his  father,  and 
also  between  Dave  and  Mr.  Wadsworth. 

"  Here  is  news !  "  cried  our  hero,  after  receiving 
one  of  the  messages.  "  ]nst  listen  to  this."  And 
he  read  the  following,  from  the  jewelry  manu- 
facturer : 

"  Clew  in  Boston  proved  to  be  false,  also  clew 
in  New  York.  Hope  you  are  on  the  right  track 
and  get  gems.  Spare  no  expense  if  you  feel  you 
are  right." 

"  And  here  is  a  telegram  from  my  dad,"  said 
Phil.  "  He  tells  us — Captain  Sanders  and  myself 
— to  use  our  own  judgment." 

"Can  you  get  a  cargo  for  Barbados,  Phil?" 
asked  Roger. 

"  We  can  get  a  half-cargo." 

"At  once?" 

"  Yes,  that  is,  inside  of  two  days." 
167 


i68      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

*'  Then  by  all  means  take  it,  Phil  1  "  cried  Dave. 
"  I  know  Mr.  Wadsworth  will  stand  the  extra 
expense.  And  if  he  won't,  I  know  my  father  will." 

"  Where  is  your  Uncle  Dunston  ?  "  questioned 
the  shipowner's  son. 

"  He's  out  on  a  little  business  trip.  He  got  a 
telegram  from  New  York  that  upset  him  some- 
what. I  hope  it  isn't  anything  serious,"  added 
Dave,  soberly. 

The  boys  rushed  off  to  talk  the  matter  over  with 
Captain  Sanders.  They  found  the  master  of  the 
vessel  at  the  shipping  office,  talking  over  the  matter 
of  a  cargo  for  Barbados. 

"  Four  men  want  to  take  passage  with  us,  if  we 
go,"  said  the  captain.  "  That  will  help  pay  for 
the  trip,  since  they  are  willing  to  pay  good  passage 
money." 

"  We  want  you  to  take  that  half-cargo,"  said 
Phil,  and  explained  matters. 

"  All  right,  if  you  say  so,"  answered  Captain 
Sanders.  "  But  you  had  better  speak  to  Mr.  Por- 
ter about  it  first." 

Half  an  hour  later  Dunston  Porter  came  driv- 
ing up  in  a  cab.    He  was  plainly  excited. 

"  I've  got  to  go  to  New  York  at  once,"  he  said. 
"  I  must  look  after  some  valuable  investments  in 
Wall  Street.  Do  you  think  you  boys  can  get  along 
alone?" 

"  I  think  we  can.  Uncle  Dunston,"  answered 


OFF  FOR  BARBADOS  169 

Dave.  "  You  know  we  are  used  to  taking  care  of 
ourselves,"  and  he  smiled  faintly. 

"  Then  go  ahead  and  do  as  you  think  best." 

"  We  want  Captain  Sanders  to  start  for  Bar- 
bados as  soon  as  he  can,"  went  on  our  hero,  and 
told  of  the  telegrams  received. 

A  general  talk  followed,  lasting  until  Dunston 
Porter  had  to  ride  away  to  catch  the  train  for  New 
York. 

"  You  must  be  right,  and  Merwell  and  Jasniff 
must  be  guilty,"  he  said.  "  And  if  they  are, 
spare  no  expense  in  catching  them.  I  think  the 
quicker  you  start  for  Barbados  the  better.  And 
as  soon  as  you  arrive  do  your  best  to  locate  the 
rascals  and  have  the  authorities  arrest  them.  And 
above  all  things,  keep  your  eyes  open  for  the 
jewels,  for  we  need  them  much  more  than  we  need 
to  catch  Merwell  and  Jasniff.  To  catch  the  ras- 
cals and  miss  the  gems  will  do  us  no  good." 

"  I  understand.  Uncle  Dunston,"  answered 
Dave.  "  And  if  the  jewels  are  anywhere  around 
we'll  locate  them." 

"Then  good-by  and  good  luck!"  finished 
Dunston  Porter,  and  in  a  minute  more  he  was  off. 

As  soon  as  he  was  gone  the  boys  and  Captain 
Sanders  commenced  preparations  for  the  trip  to 
Barbados.  An  extra  number  of  'longshoremen 
were  engaged,  so  that  the  half-cargo  to  be  taken 
along  could  be  gotten  aboard  quickly,  and  the  boys 


I70      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

spent  their  time  in  buying  such  things  as  they 
needed  for  the  trip. 

"  They  tell  me  it  is  pretty  warm  down  there," 
said  Roger.  "  So  we  had  better  buy  some  thin 
suits." 

"  And  we  had  better  go  armed,"  added  Phil. 
"  No  telling  what  trouble  we  may  run  into,  in 
trying  to  comer  Merwell  and  Jasniff.  Merwell 
is  no  great  fighter,  but  Jasniff  is  a  brute." 

"  Yes,  I'll  take  no  chances  with  Jasniff,"  an- 
swered Dave.  He  had  not  forgotten  his  quarrel 
at  Oak  Hall  with  that  bully,  and  how  Jasniff  had 
attacked  him  with  an  Indian  club,  as  related  in 
detail  in  "  Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School." 

At  last  all  was  in  readiness  for  the  trip,  and  the 
boys  and  the  other  passengers,  four  burly  English- 
men, went  aboard.  Fortunately,  the  Golden 
Eagle  was  well  provided  with  staterooms,  so  there 
was  but  little  crowding.  Dave  had  a  small  room 
to  himself  and  next  to  him  were  his  chums,  with 
Captain  Sanders  and  the  first  mate  opposite. 
Billy  Dill  was,  of  course,  in  the  forecastle  with 
the  other  sailors. 

"  It's  grand  to  have  you  along  ag'in,"  he  said, 
to  Dave  and  Phil.  "  Seems  like  old  times,  when 
we  sailed  the  Pacific." 

"  So  it  does,"  answered  our  hero. 

"  Only  ye  ain't  a-lookin'  for  no  uncle  this  trip, 
be  you?  "    And  the  old  tar  chuckled. 


OFF  FOR  BARBADOS  171 

"  No,  Billy,  we  are  looking  for  somebody  quite 
different — two  rascals  who  ran  away  with  a  lot  of 
diamonds." 

"  Mackerel  an'  codfish  I  Ye  don't  tell  me, 
Dave  I    Your  diamonds  ?  " 

"  No,  but  some  diamonds  that  were  left  with 
a  close  friend  of  mine.  If  they  are  not  recovered, 
my  friend  will  be  almost  ruined." 

"  Jumpin'  dogfish !  Then  I  hope  you  catch 
them  lubbers !  If  so  be  I  can  help  ye  any,  don't 
be  afeered  to  call  on  me,"  added  the  old  sailor, 
earnestly. 

"All  right;  I'll  remember  that,"  replied 
Dave. 

Early  the  next  day  the  Golden  Eagle  slipped 
down  the  St.  John's  River  and  past  the  jetties 
and  the  lighthouse  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  It 
was  warm  and  clear,  with  a  good  wind  blowing 
from  the  west,  an  ideal  day  for  the  departure. 
The  boys  remained  on  deck,  watching  the  scenery 
of  the  winding  stream  and  then  the  fading  shore- 
line, and  then  went  below  to  arrange  their  belong- 
ings, for  the  trip  to  Barbados  would  occupy  some 
time. 

"  I  hope  we  don't  get  seasick,"  remarked  the 
senator's  son. 

"  Well,  if  we  do,  we'll  have  to  stand  it,"  re- 
plied Phil.     "  But  don't  let's  think  about  it." 

"  What  I  am  wishing,  is  that  we'll  have  good 


172      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

weather  and  a  quick  passage,"  remarked  Dave. 
**  W^e  can't  get  to  Barbados  any  too  quick  for  me." 

"  I  was  looking  up  the  place  in  the  shipping- 
guide,"  went  on  Roger.  "  It's  not  much  of  an 
island,  only  twenty-one  miles  long  by  fifteen  wide. 
The  whole  population  is  only  about  two  hundred 
thousand,  mostly  English." 

"  The  smaller  the  population  the  easier  it  will 
be  to  find  Merwell  and  Jasniff,"  was  the  comment 
of  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  Well,  there  may  be  a  good  many  hiding- 
places  on  an  island  twenty-one  miles  long  by  fifteen 
miles  wide,"  added  Dave,  with  a  grin. 

"  Oh,  we'll  rake  the  island  with  a  fine-tooth 
comb,  if  we  have  to,"  cried  Roger. 

"  Roger,  was  your  father  quite  willing  to  let 
you  go  on  the  trip  ?  " 

"  Yes.  He  and  mother  are  now  in  Washington, 
you  know,  and  as  the  school  is  closed,  I'd  either 
have  to  go  to  the  Capital,  or  stay  with  you.  And 
I  told  him  I'd  much  rather  be  with  you  and 
Phil." 

"  And  we  are  glad  to  have  you  with  us  I  "  cried 
Phil,  and  Dave  nodded,  to  show  that  he  felt  the 
same  way  about  it. 

"  What  do  you  think  about  the  other  passen- 
gers?" asked  Phil,  in  a  lower  voice,  so  that  no- 
body else  might  hear. 

"  I  don't  think  I'll  like  them  very  much,"  re- 


OFF  FOR  BARBADOS  173 

plied  the  senator's  son.  "  That  man  named  Ges- 
wick  is  very  loud  and  dictatorial." 

"  Yes,  and  the  chap  named  Pardell  is  little  bet- 
ter," returned  Dave. 

"  What  line  are  they  in,  Phil,  did  you  hear?  " 

"  Oh,  they  are  traveling,  that's  all.  They  came 
to  this  country  from  London,  and  they  are  going 
back  by  the  way  of  Barbados." 

"  They  seem  to  have  some  money." 

"  Yes,  but  Captain  Sanders  told  me  that  they 
hang  on  to  it  pretty  well — ^more  so  than  he  at 
first  expected  they  would." 

The  first  day  passed  rapidly  and  the  Golden 
Eagle  made  good  headway.  The  boys  spent  most 
of  the  time  on  deck,  amusing  themselves  as  best 
they  could.  They  talked  to  Captain  Sanders  and 
his  mate,  and  also  visited  with  Billy  Dill.  Occa- 
sionally they  conversed  with  the  four  English- 
men, but  they  noticed  that  the  Britishers  were  in- 
clined to  keep  to  themselves. 

"  I  guess  it  is  just  as  well,  too,"  said  Dave  to 
his  chums.    "  They  are  not  our  sort  at  all." 

"  Unless  I  miss  my  guess,  they  have  had  some 
sort  of  quarrel  among  themselves,"  remarked 
Phil.  "  They  were  disputing  over  something  early 
this  morning  and  again  just  before  dinner." 

Several  days  passed,  and  the  boys  commenced 
to  feel  quite  at  home  on  the  ship.  None  of  them 
had  been  seasick,  for  which  all  were  thankful. 


174      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

**  The  weather  has  been  in  our  favor,"  said 
Captain  Sanders.  "  If  it  keeps  on  like  this,  we'll 
make  Barbados  in  record  time." 

"  Billy  Dill  said  he  smelt  a  storm,"  returned 
Dave. 

"Hum!  Is  that  so?"  mused  the  captain. 
"Well,  he's  a  pretty  good  weather-sharp,  I  must 
confess.  I'll  take  another  look  at  the  glass," 
and  he  walked  off  to  do  so. 

The  storm  came  up  during  the  night,  and  Dave 
was  awakened  to  find  himself  rolling  from  one 
side  of  his  berth  to  the  other.  He  arose,  and  as 
he  did  so  he  heard  an  exclamation  from  Roger. 

"What  is  it,  Roger?"  he  called  out. 

"I — I  guess  I'm  seasick!  "  answered  the  sena- 
tor's son.     "  Gracious,  how  this  old  tub  rolls  1  " 

"  Don't  call  the  Golden  Eagle  a  tub !  "  re- 
turned Phil.  "  Say,  can  I  do  anything  for  you?  " 
he  went  on  sympathetically. 

"  Yes,  tell  Captain  Sanders  to  keep  the  boat 
from  rocking." 

"  Better  lie  down  again,  Roger,"  said  Dave, 
entering  the  stateroom.  "  It's  a  little  better  than 
standing  up." 

"  Oh,  I — I  guess  I'm  not  so  very  ba-badly 
off,"  gasped  the  sufferer.  "  But  I  do  wish  the 
storm  was  over." 

"  We  all  wish  that." 

But,   instead  of  clearing  away,   the  storm  in- 


OFF  FOR  BARBADOS  175 

creased  in  violence,  and  by  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning  the  wind  was  blowing  close  to  a  gale. 
Both  the  captain  and  the  mate  were  on  deck,  and 
the  former  advised  the  boys  and  the  other  passen- 
gers to  remain  below.  Two  of  the  Englishmen 
were  very  seasick  and  found  all  manner  of  fault 
because  of  the  storm. 

"I'd  never  have  come  on  this  treasure  hunt  had 
I  known  I  was  to  be  so  sick !  "  groaned  one. 

"  What  bloody  luck !  "  said  the  other  sick  man. 
"  All  the  pirates'  gold  in  the  world  is  not  worth 
it  I" 

"Stow  itl  "  cried  the  man  named  Geswick. 
"  You  know  you  weren't  to  mention  what  we  were 
after." 

"  Nobody  can  hear  us,  in  this  storm,"  replied 
the  first  man  who  had  spoken. 

"  Those  boys  might  hear,"  put  in  the  fellow 
named  Pardell. 

"  Oh,  well,  they  are  only  boys.  Besides,  they'd 
not  dare  to  follow  us  up  to  Cave  Island " 

"  Hush,  I  tell  you  I  "  cried  Geswick,  savagely. 
"  Do  learn  to  keep  your  tongue  quiet."  And  then 
the  men  continued  to  talk  in  whispers. 

Dave  had  been  passing  the  staterooms  of  the 
Englishmen  during  this  conversation  and  he  could 
not  help  but  hear  what  was  said.  When  he  re- 
joined his  chums  he  told  them  of  the  talk. 

"  They  must  be  on  the  hunt  after  pirates'  gold," 


176      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

said  Phil.  "  Well,  they  are  not  the  first  to  do  that 
kind  of  searching.  Party  after  party  has  sailed 
down  here  for  the  same  purpose." 

"  Yes,  and  each  party  has  been  unsuccessful,  so 
far  as  I  know,"  answered  Dave. 

"Perhaps  they  have  some  extra-good  clew," 
suggested  Roger,  trying  to  forget  his  seasickness. 

"  Perhaps,"  returned  Dave.  "  Well,  if  they 
can  find  any  pirates'  gold  on  any  of  these  islands 
they  are  welcome  to  it,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned. 
All  I  want  to  get  hold  of  are  the  Carwith  jewels." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE   MISSING   SHIP 

"  How  much  longer  do  you  think  this  storm 
will  last?" 

It  was  Dave  who  asked  this  question,  of  Cap- 
tain Sanders,  when  the  latter  came  down  to  get  a 
bite  for  breakfast.  To  get  a  regular  meal,  with 
the  vessel  pitching  and  tossing  wildly,  was  out  of 
the  question. 

"  I  don't  know,  Dave,"  was  the  grave  answer. 
"  I  am  hoping  the  wind  will  die  down  by  sunset. 
But  the  storm  may  last  several  days." 

"  Are  we  in  any  danger?  "  questioned  Phil. 

"  There  is  always  danger  during  a  storm,"  an- 
swered the  master  of  the  Golden  Eagle.  "  But 
I  hope  to  weather  this  blow  without  much  trouble." 

"  Can  we  be  of  any  assistance?  "  went  on  our 
hero. 

"  No,  boys.  There  is  nothing  you  can  do  but 
keep  yourselves  from  falling  overboard.  How  is 
Roger?" 

"  A  little  better." 

"  I  heard  that  two  of  those  Englishmen  are 
177 


178      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

pretty  sick,"  went  on  Captain  Sanders,  with  a  faint 
smile. 

"They  are." 

"  It's  queer  to  me  that  they  sailed  with  us. 
It's  not  such  a  pleasant  voyage." 

"  I  overheard  a  little  of  their  talk,"  answered 
Dave,  and,  knowing  he  could  trust  the  captain, 
he  related  what  had  been  said. 

"Pirates'  gold,  eh?"  muttered  the  master  of 
the  ship.  "  Most  of  those  yarns  are  fairy-stories. 
I've  known  expedition  after  expedition  to  be  fitted 
out,  to  search  for  treasures  said  to  be  hidden  by 
the  old-time  buccaneers,  but  I  never  saw  a  man 
yet  who  got  even  a  smell  of  a  treasure.  Where 
were  they  going  for  it,  Dave  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  think  one  of  them  mentioned 
Cave  Island.    Is  there  such  a  place?" 

"  There  may  be,  although  I  never  heard  of  it. 
Many  of  the  islands  in  this  part  of  the  globe, 
being  of  volcanic  origin,  contain  caves." 

"  They  must  expect  to  get  to  Cave  Island  from 
Barbados." 

"  More  than  likely,"  answered  the  captain,  and 
then  hurried  on  deck  again. 

The  storm  continued  for  the  remainder  of  the 
day,  but  by  nightfall  the  wind  commenced  to  die 
down,  and  by  midnight  the  clouds  had  passed  and 
the  stars  were  shining  brightly.     In  the  morning 


THE  MISSING  SHIP  179 

the  big  sun  came  out  of  the  sea  to  the  east  like 
a  globe  of  fire. 

"  Now  we  are  going  to  have  some  warm 
weather,"  remarked  Billy  Dill,  and  the  old  tar  was 
right.  As  the  sun  mounted  in  the  heavens  it  grew 
positively  hot,  until  the  boys  had  to  go  to  their 
staterooms  and  don  thinner  clothing.  With  the 
departure  of  the  storm,  Roger's  seasickness  left 
him,  but  the  two  Englishmen  remained  slightly 
unwell  for  some  time  longer. 

"Phew!  how  warm  it  is!"  remarked  Phil. 
"  And  just  think  of  it ! — up  at  home  they  are  hav- 
ing snow  and  ice  I  " 

With  the  passing  of  the  storm,  the  boys  settled 
down  as  before.  They  saw  but  little  of  the  Eng- 
lishmen, especially  of  the  pair  who  were  sick.  But 
one  day  something  happened  which  came  close  to 
causing  a  crisis. 

The  boys  were  seated  on  the  rear  deck,  talking 
over  matters  in  general,  when  a  strong  puff  of 
wind  caused  a  sheet  of  paper  to  blow  from  some- 
where ahead  towards  Dave.  He  reached  out  and 
caught  the  sheet  just  as  it  was  about  to  go  over- 
board. 

"Hello,  what's  this?"  he  cried,  as  he  looked 
the  sheet  over.    "  Must  be  some  sort  of  a  chart." 

"  It  is,"  answered  Roger,  gazing  at  the  paper. 
"  See,  here  is  a  spot  marked  Barbados,  and  an- 


i8o      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

other  marked  Cave  Island,  a  little  to  the  east- 
ward." 

"  Why,  look  what  it  says,  up  here  I  "  cried 
Phil.  " '  Map  of  the  Don  Amorandos  Treasure, 
buried  in  17 15.'  Say,  do  you  think  those  English- 
men  " 

"  Hi,  you  I  Give  me  that  map  1  "  bawled  a 
voice  from  near  by,  and  with  a  very  red  face,  the 
Englishman  named  Geswick  bore  down  on  the 
boys.  "How  dare  you  look  at  this?"  he  went 
on,  as  he  snatched  the  sheet  out  of  their  hands 
and  folded  it  up. 

"  We  wanted  to  see  what  it  was  and  whom  it 
belonged  to,"  answered  Dave,  as  calmly  as  he 
could. 

"  You  had  no  right  to  look  at  it,"  stormed  An- 
drew Geswick.     "  That  is  private  property." 

"  Then  why  did  you  let  it  fall  in  our  hands?  " 
asked  Phil. 

"  If  it  hadn't  been  for  Dave,  it  would  have 
gone  overboard,"  put  in  Roger. 

"Humph I"  The  man  fell  back  a  little. 
"  Well,  I  am  thankful  for  that.  But  you  boys 
had  no  right  to  look  at  it,"  he  grumbled. 

"  Why,  it's  only  a  chart,  isn't  it  ?  "  asked  the 
senator's  son,  curiously. 

"Never  mind  what  it  is  I"  answered  Andrew 
Geswick,  sharply.  "  Did  you  read  what  was  on 
It?  "  he  demanded,  an  instant  later. 


THE  MISSING  SHIP  i8i 

"  We  saw  it  was  a  chart,"  answered  Dave,  and 
looked  knowingly  at  his  chums,  to  make  them 
keep  silent. 

"  It — er — it  belongs  to  Mr.  Pardell  and  he  is 
very  particular  about  it,"  went  on  the  English- 
man. And  then  without  another  word  he  walked 
away. 

"  My,  isn't  he  sweet  I  "  muttered  Phil. 

"  Just  as  sweet  as  a  can  of  sour  milk,"  an- 
swered the  senator's  son.  **  Dave,  I  guess  you 
wish  you  had  allowed  that  map  to  blow  over- 
board." 

*'  Not  exactly  that,  Roger.  But  he  might  have 
been  a  little  more  thankful  for  saving  something 
that  he  thinks  so  valuable." 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  anything  in  this  treasure 
idea?  "  questioned  Phil,  after  a  pause. 

*'  No,  Phil.  That  is,  there  may  be  some  lost 
treasure,  secreted  by  the  pirates  and  buccaneers  of 
old,  but  I  doubt  if  anybody  will  ever  find  it — ex- 
cepting by  accident." 

**  If  there  was  a  treasure  on  this  Cave  Island, 
we  might  hunt  for  it,"  went  on  the  shipowner's 
son. 

"  Phil,  don't  let  that  bee  get  into  your  bon- 
net!" cried  Roger.  "Many  a  man  has  gone 
crazy  looking  for  pirates'  gold.  Better  drop  it, 
and  think  of  how  we  are  to  round  up  Merweli  and 
Jasniff." 


i82      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

**  Well,  I'd  like  to  go  to  Cave  Island  anyway," 

said    Phil.      "We    might "      And    then    he 

stopped  short,  as  he  saw  Geswick  and  Pardell 
near  by.  The  Englishmen  had  been  listening  to 
part  of  the  conversation. 

"  So  you'd  like  to  go  to  Cave  Island,  would 
you  ?  "  cried  Andrew  Geswick,  his  face  red  with 
rage.  "  You  take  my  advice  and  keep  away  from 
that  place  1  " 

"Say,  do  you  own  that  island?"  demanded 
Phil,  getting  angry  because  of  the  other's  dicta- 
torial manner. 

"  No,  we  don't  own  the  island.    But  we " 

Andrew  Geswick  stopped  short  as  his  companion 
plucked  him  by  the  sleeve.  "  Never  mind,  you 
keep  away  from  it,  that's  all,"  he  growled. 

"  We'll  go  there  if  we  want  to,"  called  out 
Phil. 

"  If  you  do  you  may  get  into  trouble,"  called 
back  Pardell.  Then  he  and  his  companion  dis- 
appeared in  the  direction  of  the  cabin. 

"  They  are  touchy  enough,"  was  Roger's  com- 
ment. "  Phil,  you  had  better  drop  Cave  Island 
after  this." 

"  I'll  talk  about  it  as  much  as  I  please,"  grum- 
bled the  shipowner's  son.  "  Those  fellows  make 
me  tired.  They  act  as  if  they  owned  the 
earth  I" 


THE  MISSING  SHIP  183 

Sunday  was  a  quiet  day  on  shipboard.  The 
Englishmen  did  not  show  themselves  excepting  at 
meals,  and  the  boys  were  content  to  leave  them 
severely  alone.  They  told  Captain  Sanders  of  the 
chart  and  of  the  talk  that  had  occurred. 

"  Let  them  alone,  lads,"  said  the  commander 
of  the  Golden  Eagle.  "  I'll  venture  to  say  that 
sooner  or  later  they'll  find  out  they  are  on  a  wild 
goose  chase." 

"  The  only  one  that  seems  to  be  anyway  nice 
is  the  fellow  named  Giles  Borden,"  said  Dave. 
**  He  is  rather  quiet.  The  other  fellow,  Rumney, 
is  almost  as  bad  as  Geswick  and  Pardell.'* 

"  So  I've  noticed,  Dave.  And  the  queer  part 
of  it  is,  Borden  paid  for  the  passages.  He  ap- 
pears to  be  the  only  one  with  money." 

"  Maybe  he  is  backing  the  expedition,"  sug- 
gested Roger. 

"I'm  sorry  for  him  if  he  is,"  answered  the 
captain. 

The  Bahama  Islands  had  been  passed,  and  now 
they  were  in  the  vicinity  of  Porto  Rico.  Then 
commenced  the  trip  southward,  through  the 
Lesser  Antilles. 

"  This  is  the  spot  for  active  volcanoes,"  ob- 
served Phil.  "  Don't  you  remember  how  the 
Island  of  Martinique  suffered?  " 

"  Oh,  don't  speak  of  volcanoes !  "  cried  Roger. 


i84      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  I  have  no  use  for  them — or  for  earthquakes 
either." 

"  There  must  be  hundreds  of  islands  around 
here,"  observed  Dave.  "  The  charts  are  full  of 
them." 

"  That  must  make  navigation  difficult,"  came 
from  Phil. 

"  Oh,  I  reckon  Captain  Sanders  knows  what  he 
is  about." 

"  Wonder  how  soon  we'll  run  into  the  harbor 
at  Bridgetown?"  mused  the  shipowner's  son,  the 
place  he  mentioned  being  the  main  seaport  of 
Barbados. 

"  Inside  of  three  days,  I  hope,  Phil,"  answered 
our  hero. 

"  Merwell  and  Jasniff  must  be  there  by  this 
time." 

"  It's  more  than  likely — unless  something  hap- 
pened to  delay  them,"  returned  Dave. 

At  last  came  the  day  when  they  sighted  Bar- 
bados and,  ran  into  the  harbor  of  Bridgetown. 
The  place  was  a  picturesque  one,  but  the  boys 
had  just  then  no  time  to  view  the  scenery  or  the 
shipping.  As  soon  as  it  could  be  accomplished, 
they  went  ashore,  and  Captain  Sanders  went  with 
them,  leaving  his  vessel  in  charge  of  the  first 
mate. 

"  You  may  have  trouble  with  those  two  rascals, 
if  you  find  them,"   said  the  commander  of  the 


THE  MISSING  SHIP  185 

Golden  Eagle.  "I'll  be  on  deck  to  help  you  all 
I  can." 

"Shall  we  go  to  the  hotel  first?"  questioned 
Roger. 

"Might  as  well,"  answered  Phil.  "They'd 
strike  for  the  hotel  first  thing,  after  a  sea  trip 
like  that.     Maybe  they  were  both  seasick." 

"  I  hope  they  were — it  would  serve  them  right," 
growled  the  senator's  son. 

Dave  and  the  captain  were  willing,  and  a  little 
later  walked  into  the  Royal  George  Hotel.  Here 
the  boys  looked  at  the  register,  but  found  no 
names  that  they  could  recognize.  Then  Dave 
brought  out  his  photographs  of  Merwell  and 
Jasniff  and  showed  them  to  the  hotel  proprietor 
and  his  clerk. 

"  Nobody  here  that  looks  like  either  of  them," 
said  the  proprietor,  while  his  clerk  also  shook  his 
head. 

"  They  came  in  on  the  Emma  Brower,"  said 
Captain  Sanders. 

"  The  Emma  Brower! "  cried  the  hotel  man. 
"Is  she  in?" 

"  Why,  I  suppose  so,"  and  now  the  commander 
of  the  Golden  Eagle  showed  his  surprise. 

"  She  wasn't  in  last  night,  and  the  agents  were  a 
bit  worried  about  her.  I  know  the  agents  person- 
ally, you  see." 

"  Then  maybe  she  isn't  in  yet  I  "  cried  Dave. 


i86      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Let  us  go  down  to  the  docks  and  find  out  about 
this." 

They  lost  no  time  in  visiting  the  docks  and  the 
shipping  offices.  There  they  learned  that  nothing 
had  been  heard  of  the  Emma  Brower  since  the 
vessel  had  left  Jacksonville. 

"  We  must  have  passed  her  on  the  way  I  "  cried 
Dave,  to  Captain  Sanders.    "  Could  we  do  that?  " 

"  Perhaps,  since  we  only  had  half  a  cargo, 
Dave.  Besides,  maybe  that  vessel  was  damaged 
by  the  storm." 

"  I  wonder  how  soon  she  will  get  in?  "  mused 
Roger. 

At  this  the  captain  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  say.  I've  known  a  ship 
to  be  a  week  and  sometimes  nearly  a  month  over- 
due. And  I've  known  a  ship  to  drop  out  alto- 
gether," he  added,  soberly. 

"  Oh,  don't  say  you  think  she  has  gone  down  1  " 
cried  Dave,  in  alarm. 

"  Let  us  hope  not,  Dave.'* 

The  day  passed,  and  also  the  next  ajid  the  next. 
The  cargo  of  the  Golden  Eagle  was  unloaded,  and 
the  Englishmen,  who  had  been  passengers,  left 
for  parts  unknown.  As  each  day  slipped  by,  Dave 
grew  more  serious.  What  if  the  Emma  Brower 
had  gone  down,  carrying  Merwell,  Jasniff,  and 
the  Carwith  jewels  with  her? 


CHAPTER  XX 

LANDING  ON   CAVE  ISLAND 

At  the  end  of  a  week  Dave  was  more  worried 
than  ever.  Each  day  he  and  his  chums  went  down 
to  the  shipping  offices  and  each  day  returned  to 
the  hote?  disappointed.  Not  a  word  had  been 
heard  concerning  the  missing  vessel  and  those  on 
board. 

The  Golden  Eagle  was  all  ready  to  sail  on  heir 
return  trip  to  the  United  States,  but  Phil  told 
Captain  Sanders  to  wait. 

"  Perhaps  we'll  hear  to-day,"  he  said,  and  this 
was  repeated  day  after  day. 

It  was  very  warm  and  the  boys  were  glad  they 
had  brought  along  some  thin  clothing.  They 
scarcely  knew  what  to  do  with  themselves,  and 
Dave  was  particularly  sober. 

"  I  suppose  Mr.  Wadsworth  and  the  rest  arc 
waiting  to  hear  from  me,"  he  said  to  his  chums. 
"  But  what  is  the  use  of  sending  a  message  when 
I  haven't  anything  to  say?" 

Another  Sunday  passed,  and  on  Monday  the 
boys  visited  the  Golden  Eagle,  and  then  went  with 
Captain  Sanders  to  the  nearest  shipping  office. 

187 


1 88      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Something  is  going  on  I  "  cried  the  senator^s 
son,  as  he  noticed  an  unusual  crowd  congregated. 
"  Must  be  news  of  some  sort." 

*'  Let  us  find  out  what  it  is  1  "  returned  our 
hero,  quickly. 

"  The  Emma  Brower  has  been  heard  from," 
said  a  man,  standing  near.  "  That's  the 
vessel  that  was  missing,  don't  you  know,"  he 
added. 

"  What  of  her?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  Went  down  in  that  terrible  storm  we  had 
about  ten  days  ago." 

"  Down !  "  gasped  all  of  the  boys,  while  Cap- 
tain Sanders  looked  the  concern  he  felt. 

"  So  they  say.  I  do  not  know  the  particulars," 
went  on  the  man  as  he  walked  away. 

It  did  not  take  the  boys  and  the  captain  long 
to  get  into  the  shipping  office  and  there  they 
learned  as  many  of  the  particulars  as  were  known. 
A  tramp  steamer  from  Porto  Rico  had  come  in 
bringing  word  that  she  had  sighted  portions  of  a 
wreck  while  out  at  sea,  and  an  investigation  proved 
the  same  to  belong  to  the  Emma  Brower.  A  por- 
tion of  a  small  boat  had  been  picked  up,  but  noth- 
ing had  been  seen  of  sailors  or  passengers. 

"Where  was  this?"  questioned  Dave,  when 
he  could  get  the  chance. 

"  The  captain  of  the  steamer  says  about  two 
miles  west  of  Cave  Island." 


LANDING  ON  CAVE  ISLAND  189 

"Cave  Island!"  cried  Phil.  "Why,  that  is 
where  those  Englishmen  were  going  to  hunt  for 
that  pirates'  treasure." 

"  Two  miles  from  Cave  Island,"  mused  our 
hero.  "  If  the  Emma  Brower  went  down,  per- 
haps those  in  some  of  the  small  boats  got  to  that 
place." 

"  Perhaps,"  answered  Captain  Sanders. 

The  boys  and  the  captain  remained  at  the  ship- 
ping office  for  an  hour,  getting  all  the  details  pos- 
sible concerning  the  wreck,  including  the  exact 
latitude  and  longitude  where  the  vessel  was  sup- 
posed to  have  gone  down. 

"  Let  us  sail  for  that  spot  and  see  if  we  can 
discover  anything,"  suggested  Dave,  as  the  party 
came  away.  "  We  may  find  some  of  those  in  the 
small  boats." 

*'  Just  what  I  was  going  to  suggest,"  said  Phil. 

"  Well,  it's  up  to  you,  Phil,  to  say  what  we 
shall  do,"  answered  Captain  Sanders.  "  Your 
father  sent  me  word  that  I  was  to  look  to  you  for 
orders — that  is,  within  reasonable  limits, — and  I 
know  you  won't  be  unreasonable." 

"  Well,  we  want  to  get  back  to  the  United 
States,  anyway,"  said  Roger.  "  And  this  would 
be  on  our  way." 

"  How  soon  can  you  get  ready  for  the  trip  ?  " 
asked  our  hero,  of  the  master  of  the  Golden 
Eagle. 


I90     DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  We  are  all  provisioned,  so  it  won't  take  but 
a  few  hours,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Then  let  us  sail  to-day," 

"You  don't  want  to  wait  for  more  word?" 
asked  Roger. 

"  No,  Roger;  I  don't  think  It  will  do  any  good," 
answered  our  hero. 

The  matter  was  discussed  at  the  hotel,  and  a 
little  later  the  boys  paid  their  bill  and  had  their 
baggage  taken  to  the  ship.  In  the  meantime  Cap- 
tain Sanders  had  prepared  for  the  trip,  and  two 
hours  later  the  Golden  Eagle  was  moving  out  of 
the  harbor  of  Bridgetown. 

"  How  long  will  it  take  us  to  run  to  that  spot 
where  they  think  the  ship  went  down?  "  asked 
Phil. 

"  Not  more  than  a  day  and  a  half — it  depends 
somewhat  on  the  wind,"  answered  Captain  San- 
ders. 

The  boys  tried  to  settle  themselves,  but  this 
was  impossible.  Dave  could  not  keep  still,  and 
paced  the  deck  by  the  hour,  or  scanned  the  bosom 
of  the  ocean  with  the  marine  glasses  Captain  San- 
ders loaned  him. 

Only  once  came  a  thrill  of  excitement.  A  bit  of 
wreckage  was  sighted  and  the  ship  sailed  toward 
it.  It  was  a  yardarm,  and  to  it  were  lashed  a 
cask  and  several  boxes,  one  of  the  latter  bearing 


LANDING  ON  CAVE  ISLAND  191 

the  name  Emma  Brower.  Not  a  sign  of  a  human 
being  could  be  seen. 

"If  a  man  was  on  that  wreckage  the  storm 
tore  him  loose,"  said  Captain  Sanders. 

"  How  terrible  I  "  whispered  Roger. 

**  And  think  of  it,  it  may  have  been  Merwell, 
or  Jasniff,  or  both  of  them !  "  returned  Phil. 

On  the  following  day  they  reached  the  latitude 
and  longitude  as  given  by  the  captain  of  the  tramp 
steamer.  In  that  vicinity  they  saw  some  smaller 
wreckage,  but  nothing  of  importance. 

"  Cave  Island  is  two  miles  east  of  here,"  said 
Captain  Sanders. 

"Any  other  islands  around?"  asked  Dave. 

"  Nothing  within  fifteen  or  twenty  miles." 

*'  Then,  if  the  crew  and  passengers  took  to  the 
small  boats,  wouldn't  they  be  likely  to  steer  for 
Cave  Island?  " 

"  I  think  so, — that  is,  if  the  storm  let  'em  do  so. 
It  might  be  the  wind  would  force  'em  the  other 
way.  But  I  think  it  would  be  a  wise  move  to 
sail  for  Cave  Island  and  take  a  look  around.  The 
one  trouble  is,  so  I  learned  at  Barbados,  the  island 
hasn't  any  sort  of  harbor.  We'll  have  to  lay-to 
outside  and  go  ashore  in  a  small  boat." 

"  Perhaps  it  won't  be  necessary  to  go  ashore," 
said  Roger. 

*'  Oh,  it  can  be  done  easily  enough." 


192      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

The  bow  of  the  Golden  Eagle  was  turned 
eastward.  They  ran  slowly,  all  hands  keeping 
their  eyes  open  for  more  signs  of  the  wreck. 

Presently  they  came  in  sight  of  the  reef  out- 
side of  Cave  Island.  It  formed  a  large  horse- 
shoe, and  beyond  was  the  island  itself,  long,  low, 
and  irregular,  the  shore  fringed  with  tropical  trees 
and  bushes  and  the  center  rocky  and  barren. 

"  This  ain't  no  easy  place  to  land,"  said  Billy 
Dill  to  Dave,  as  the  sails  were  lowered  and  the 
ship  was  brought  about.  "  If  them  critters  from 
the  wreck  got  here  in  their  small  boats  in  the  dark 
they  must  have  had  a  fierce  time  o'  it !  " 

"  I  don't  see  a  sign  of  a  boat  anywhere,"  said 
Dave,  as  he  swept  the  reef  and  the  shore  with  the 
glasses.  "  And  not  a  sign  of  a  human  being 
either,"  he  added,  with  a  sinking  heart. 

"  That's  queer,  too,  lad,  if  they  came  here. 
Fust  thing  I'd  think  about,  if  I  was  wrecked,  would 
be  to  put  up  a  signal  o'  distress." 

It  was  growing  dark,  yet  Dave  and  his  chums 
were  anxious  to  go  ashore,  to  see  if  they  could 
discover  anything  concerning  those  who  had  been 
wrecked,  so  Captain  Sanders  ordered  out  the  lar- 
gest of  the  small  boats. 

"  I'll  go  with  you,"  he  said.  "  And  we  can  take 
Billy  Dill  and  Smiley." 

"  We  had  better  take  some  things  along — In 
case  we  remain  ashore  all  night,"  said  Dave. 


LANDING  ON  CAVE  ISLAND  193 

"  To  be  sure.  And  we'll  go  armed,  lad — no 
telling  what  may  turn  up." 

"Any  wild  animals  here?"  questioned  the 
senator's  son. 

*'  I  don't  know,  but  I  don't  think  so — that  is, 
not  large  ones.  You'll  find  rabbits  maybe,  and 
any  number  of  birds." 

Soon  the  small  boat  was  ready  to  go  ashore. 
Billy  Dill  and  the  other  sailor,  Smiley,  were  at 
the  oars,  while  Captain  Sanders  was  in  the  stern, 
to  steer  and  give  directions. 

"  If  it  starts  to  blow  better  move  off  a  bit,"  said 
the  captain  to  the  mate.  "  No  use  in  taking 
chances  around  these  reefs." 

"  I'll  watch  out,"  was  the  answer.  *'  I  know 
just  what  a  blow  down  here  means,  and  I'll  keep 
her  off." 

"Do  you  think  we'll  have  another  storm?" 
asked   Dave. 

"  Can't  tell  about  that,  lad.  Sometimes  a  storm 
comes  up  pretty  quick  in  these  parts." 

Soon  the  small  boat  was  close  to  the  breakers. 
The  water  boiled  and  foamed  on  every  side,  and 
it  must  be  confessed  that  Roger  was  somewhat 
scared.  Dave  and  Phil  did  not  mind,  although 
wishing  it  was  over. 

"  To  starboard,  hard  I  "  shouted  the  captain, 
when  the  first  of  the  breakers  was  encountered. 
"  Now  ease  off,  lads !     Lively  now,  and  hard  I 


194      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Starboard  again  1  Keep  it  upl  There,  straight 
ahead!  Bend  to  it,  bend  I  tell  youl  A  little 
more  to  starboard — not  too  muchl  There,  now 
we  are  out  of  it  I  "  And  in  a  moment  more  the 
small  boat  was  out  of  the  breakers  and  riding  into 
a  tiny  cove,  where  there  was  a  stretch  of  sand, 
dotted  with  palms.  The  two  sailors  were  all  but 
exhausted  and  glad  enough  to  rest  up  and  allow 
the  boat  to  drift  ashore. 

"  So  this  is  Cave  Island  ?  "  remarked  Dave,  as 
he  hopped  out  on  the  sand,  followed  by  his  chums. 
"  Well,  it  doesn't  look  much  different  from  the 
other  islands  in  this  portion  of  the  globe." 

After  everybody  had  alighted,  the  small  boat 
was  pulled  up  on  the  sand  and  tied  to  a  palm 
tree. 

"What's  to  do  next?"  asked  the  shipowner's 
son,  as  he  looked  inquiringly  at  Dave.  "  This  is 
your  expedition,  Dave." 

"  How  big  around  do  you  suppose  this  Island 
is,  Captain?  "  asked  our  hero. 

"  Four  or  five  miles  at  least." 

"  Then  we  could  walk  completely  around  it  in 
a  couple  of  hours,  that  is,  if  we  found  it  wasn't 
too  rough  in  spots." 

**  You  won't  find  it  smooth  like  this  all  around, 
lad." 

"  Some  of  us  might  walk  in  one  direction  and 
some  in  the  other,"  suggested  Roger.    "  Then,  if 


riiflfiimRfiii 

"To   STARBOARD,    HARD  !  "    SHOUTED   THE    CAPTAIN.— PajyC   ifl.V. 


LANDING  ON  CAVE  ISLAND  195 

either  party  discovered  anything,  it  could  signal 
to  the  other  by  firing  a  pistol  or  a  gun."  For  both 
sorts  of  weapons  had  been  brought  along. 

"  Whatever  you  wish  to  do  to-day  must  be  done 
quickly,"  said  Captain  Sanders.  "  It  will  soon  be 
night,  and,  as  you  knoW,  darkness  comes  on  quickly 
in  this  part  of  the  world." 

The  matter  was  discussed  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  then  It  was  decided  to  leave  the  sailors  in 
charge  of  tl  c  boat,  while  Captain  Sanders  and 
Phil  walked  ut  the  shore  and  Dave  and  Roger 
traveled  in  the  opposite  direction. 

For  fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile  Dave  and  the 
senator's  son  found  it  an  easy  matter  to  push 
along,  for  the  sandy  shore  was  smooth  and  offered 
no  barrier  to  their  advance.  But  then  they  came 
to  a  series  of  rocks,  jutting  out  into  the  ocean, 
and  here  progress  was  more  difficult. 

"  We'll  not  get  around  this  island  to-night," 
remarked  the  senator's  son,  after  climbing  over 
a  particularly  sharp  line  of  rocks.  "  This  takes 
a  fellow's  wind." 

"Look!"  cried  our  hero,  as  he  pointed  to  a 
spot  between  the  rocks.  "  What  do  you  make  that 
out  to  be,  Roger?  " 

"  It's  the  wreck  of  a  rowboat !  "  cried  the 
other. 

"  Just  what  I  thought.  Let  us  go  down  and 
look  it  over." 


196      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

With  care,  so  as  not  to  sprain  an  ankle,  the 
two  chums  climbed  down  to  the  split  in  the  rocks. 
By  this  time  it  was  growing  dark,  and  in  the 
hollow  they  could  not  see  clearly. 

It  was  the  remains  of  a  rowboat  which  they  had 
discovered.  The  small  craft  was  split  from  end 
to  end,  so  as  to  be  utterly  useless.  Near  it  lay 
a  broken  oar  and  a  broken-open  box  that  had 
contained  provisions  of  some  sort. 

*'  That  boat  is  from  the  Emma  Brower! " 
cried  Dave,  after  an  investigation.  "  And  that 
proves  that  some  of  the  people  from  the  wrecked 
ship  came  to  this  island  I  " 

"  Yes,  but  are  they  alive,  Dave,  or  were  they 
drowned?"  questioned  Roger. 

"  That  remains  to  be  found  out,  Roger.  I  sin- 
cerely hope  they  are  alive." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

INTO  A   CAVE  AND  OUT 

"  Let  us  look  around  for  footprints,  Roger," 
said  Dave,  as  the  pair  scrambled  up  the  rocks 
once  more.  "If  any  persons  landed  from  that 
smashed  rowboat  they'd  have  to  walk  in  some  di- 
rection, and  the  ground  is  soft  back  of  here." 

"  The  trouble  is,  it  is  growing  so  dark,"  re- 
turned the  senator's  son.  "  In  a  little  while  we 
won't  be  able  to  find  our  way  back.  We  should 
have  brought  a  lantern  along." 

"  I've  got  something  almost  as  good,"  answered 
our  hero,  and  took  from  his  pocket  a  little  electric 
flashlight — one  of  the  kind  that  emits  a  tiny  flash 
of  light  when  the  button  at  the  end  is  pressed. 

"  Good  enough  I    That's  first-rate !  " 

The  pair  were  soon  down  from  the  rocks.  Un- 
der the  palm  trees  it  was  now  dark,  and  Dave  used 
the  electric  flashlight  to  advantage. 

"  Here  are  footprints !  "  he  cried,  presently. 
**  Six  pairs  I  That  shows  that  at  least  a  half 
dozen  persons  came  ashore  in  that  boat.  Those 
six  may  have  been  carrying  others." 

"Shall  we  set  up  a  shout?'* 
197 


198      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  I  don't  know,  Roger.  If  Merwell  and  Jas- 
niff  were  around  I'd  like  to  surprise  them.  If 
they  discovered  us  first,  and  they  had  the  jewels, 
they'd  surely  hide  the  gems  and  then  say  they 
didn't  have  them." 

"  I  believe  that,  Dave.  Well,  let  us  follow  the 
footsteps  and  see  where  they  lead  to." 

"  Another  thing.  Do  you  remember  those 
Englishmen?  They  may  be  on  this  island,  and 
if  so,  I'd  rather  steer  clear  of  them." 

"  So  would  I,  they  were  so  disagreeable — all  but 
that  one  chap,  Borden." 

The  trail  led  among  the  palm  trees  and  then 
up  a  rise  of  ground  where  grew  a  number  of  bushes. 
Here  the  boys  had  to  proceed  more  slowly,  for 
fear  of  missing  the  way. 

"  It's  queer  that  they  should  call  this  spot  Cave 
Island,"  observed  the  senator's  son.  "  We  haven't 
seen  anything  that  looks  like  a  cave." 

"  The  caves  may  be  on  the  other  side  of  the 
island,"  answered  Dave.  "  Look  out,  Roger, 
there  is  a  split  in  the  rocks  1  Let  us  jump  over  to 
yonder  bushes." 

Dave  placed  the  flashlight  in  his  pocket  and 
made  the  leap  he  had  mentioned,  and  his  chum 
came  after  him. 

A  most  astonishing  thing  followed.  The  bushes 
where  they  landed  gave  way,  and  down  they  rolled 
on  some  smooth  rocks.     They  tried  to  stay  their 


INTO  A  CAVE  AND  OUT  199 

progress,  but  this  was  impossible,  and  they  con- 
tinued to  roll  for  several  minutes.  Then  Dave 
bumped  into  some  sort  of  barrier  and  Roger 
landed  beside  him. 

"For  gracious  sake,  what's  this?"  gasped 
Roger,  when  he  felt  able  to  speak.  The  breath 
had  been  all  but  knocked  out  of  him. 

"  I  guess  we  have  found  one  of  the  caves,"  an- 
swered Dave,  grimly.  "  Phew,  but  that  was  some 
roll,  wasn't  it !  " 

"  We  must  be  down  near  the  center  of  the 
earth,"  murmured  the  senator's  son. 

"  Not  quite  as  bad  as  that.  But  we  came  down 
some  distance,  I  admit." 

"  Flash  that  light  around,  Dave,  and  let  us  sec 
where  we  are." 

"  I  will  if  the  light  hasn't  been  smashed,"  re- 
plied our  hero.  "  I  rolled  over  it  half  a  dozen 
times." 

He  brought  out  the  little  flashlight  and  tried  it. 
Fortunately,  it  was  still  in  working  order.  As  the 
rays  fell  around  the  lads,  they  stared  at  each  other, 
blankly. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  this,  Dave?  " 

"  Looks  as  if  it  was  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock, 
Roger." 

"  It  certainly  is  some  cave.  Wonder  where  it 
leads  to  ?  " 

"  We  might  follow  the  opening  and  find  out." 


200      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Excuse  me,  Vd  rather  climb  out  the  way  we 
came  in." 

"  It  certainly  doesn't  look  very  inviting." 

The  two  boys  found  themselves  in  an  irregular 
opening  of  the  rocks,  fifty  feet  wide  and  perhaps 
twice  that  in  length.  On  one  side  was  the  smooth 
slope  down  which  they  had  come;  on  the  other  a 
dark  hole  that  looked  as  if  it  might  lead  to  some 
bottomless  pit.  A  jagged  rock  in  the  center  of  the 
underground  chamber  had  been  the  means  of  stop- 
ping them  from  dropping  to  the  unknown  depths 
below  them. 

*'  We  were  lucky  to  hit  this  rock,"  said  Dave, 

with  something  like  a  shiver.    "  If  we  hadn't " 

He  did  not  finish. 

"  Let  us  get  out.  It  gives  me  the  creeps  to  stay 
here,"  returned  his  chum. 

"  All  right,  Roger,  I'm  willing.  But  it  is  going 
to  be  hard  work  crawling  back,  those  rocks  are 
so  smooth." 

"  We've  got  to  get  back  I  '* 

"  I  can't  hold  the  light  and  climb  too.  And  if 
I  place  it  on  the  rocks  it  may  roll  away  and  go 
down  into  that  hole,"  went  on  our  hero. 

"  Oh,  put  It  in  your  pocket  again  and  we'll  try 
to  climb  back  in  the  dark.  We  know  the  direc- 
tion." 

Dave  did  as  his  chum  suggested,  and  then  com- 
menced a  climb  that  neither  of  the  lads  ever  for- 


INTO  A  CAVE  AND  OUT  201 

got.  The  rocks  were  so  smooth  in  spots  that  at 
times  to  get  a  foothold  was  next  to  impossible. 
Once  Roger  slid  back  several  feet  and  would  have 
gone  to  the  bottom  had  not  Dave  caught  and  held 
him. 

"  Take  it  slowly,  Roger,"  was  our  hero's  ad- 
vice. "  If  you  go  to  the  bottom,  you  may  be 
killed  I" 

"  I'll  hang— on  1  "  gasped  the  other.  "  But  I 
wi-wish  I  was  out — of — th-this  I  " 

"  Well,  I  wish  the  same." 

It  took  fully  a  quarter  of  an  hour  longer  to  get 
out  of  the  rocky  cave,  and  when  the  boys  reached 
the  surface  of  the  earth  they  were  so  exhausted 
they  could  do  little  but  sit  on  the  ground  and 
pant  for  breath. 

"  It's  Cave  Island  right  enough,"  was  the  com- 
ment of  the  senator's  son.  "  But  excuse  me  from 
tumbling  into  any  more  such  openings  1  " 

"  I  guess  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  go  back 
to  the  boat,"  said  Dave.  "  We  can't  discover 
much  in  this  darkness.  We  can  start  out  again 
early  in  the  morning." 

"  All  right,  back  to  the  boat  it  is,"  and  the  pair 
set  out  on  the  return  along  the  sandy  shore. 

"  I  see  a  light !  "  cried  Dave,  after  about  half  the 
distance  to  where  the  rowboat  had  been  left  was 
covered.  And  he  pointed  to  a  spot  inland,  among 
the  trees. 


202      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Maybe  it's  a  camp  of  some  sort,"  replied 
Roger.     "  It  seems  to  be  quite  a  distance  away." 

"  Shall  we  go  and  see  what  it  is?  " 

"  Hadn't  we  better  get  the  others  first,  Dave  ?  " 

"  All  right,  if  you  think  best." 

So  they  continued  on  the  way  to  where  the 
rowboat  had  been  left.  They  came  up  to  find  that 
Captain  Sanders  and  Phil  had  not  yet  returned. 
Smiley  was  snoring  on  the  sand,  while  Billy  Dili 
sat  near  by  on  guard. 

"  Find  anybody?  "  queried  the  old  tar,  eagerly. 

"  We  found  one  of  the  caves,  and  we  saw  a 
light  at  a  distance,"  answered  Dave.  "  We  want 
to  investigate  that  light,  as  soon  as  the  others  get 
back." 

Dave  and  Roger  sat  down,  to  rest  and  to  wait, 
and  thus  another  half-hour  went  by.  With  noth- 
ing else  to  do,  Billy  Dill  took  a  nap,  and  the  boys 
allowed  the  old  sailor  to  slumber  on. 

"  It's  queer  the  captain  and  Phil  don't  return," 
remarked  Roger,  presently.  *'  They  must  have 
gone  much  further  than  we  did." 

"  Maybe  they  fell  into  one  of  those  caves, 
Roger." 

"Oh,  I  trust  not!" 

Another  half-hour  went  by  and  still  the  others 
did  not  put  in  an  appearance.  By  this  time  Dave 
was  getting  worried. 

"  Let  us  take  a  walk  along  the  shore  and  look 


INTO  A  CAVE  AND  OUT  203 

for  them,"  he  said,  and  Roger  agreed,  and  they 
started  off. 

They  had  covered  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
when  they  came  in  sight  of  a  campfire,  well-hidden 
between  the  rough  rocks  back  from  the  water's 
edge.  Around  the  campfire  were  huddled  the 
forms  of  several  men,  evidently  sailors. 

"  Perhaps  those  men  are  from  the  Emma 
Brower,"  said  Dave,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  don't  see  anything  of  Captain  Sanders  and 
Phil,"  remarked  the  senator's  son. 

"  No.  And  yet  they  must  have  seen  this  camp- 
fire,  if  they  came  this  way.  What  can  it  mean, 
Dave?" 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  Shall  we  go  up  to  the  campfire  and  talk  to 
those  fellows  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  why  not.  I  am  not  afraid  of 
them." 

"  Do  you  see  anybody  that  looks  like  Jasniff  or 
Merwell?" 

"  No,  those  fellows  are  all  plain  sailors,  by  their 
outfits." 

Dave  continued  to  advance  and  Roger  followed, 
and  neither  halted  until  he  was  within  the  glow  of 
the  campfire.    Then  Dave  called  out: 

"  Hello,  messmates  1  " 

At  this  cry  the  four  sailors  around  the  fire 
sprang  to  their  feet.    At  a  glance  Dave  and  Roger 


204      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

saw  that  they  were  in  tatters,  and  that  they  looked 
hungry  and  careworn. 

"  Hello,  yourself  1 "  answered  one  of  the 
tars,  stepping  towards  the  boys.  "  W^ho  are 
you?" 

"  Passengers  from  the  Golden  Eagle,"  answered 
Dave. 

"  Oh,  some  mdre  of  that  crowd,  eh  ? "  cried 
the  tar. 

"Then  you've  seen  the  others, — the  captain  and 
a  young  fellow  like  ourselves  ?  "  queried  Roger. 

"  Yes,  they  were  here  only  a  short  while  ago." 

**  They  said  they'd  be  back,  and  take  us  aboard 
an'  git  us  something  to  eat,"  put  In  a  second  of 
the  sailors. 

*'  An'  we  need  that  grub  putty  bad,  we  do," 
added  a  third. 

"Ain't  had  no  decent  meal  since  we  got 
wrecked,"  came  from  the  fourth.  "A  few  fish 
an'  birds,  an'  that's  all." 

"  You  are  from  the  Emma  Browerf "  ques- 
tioned Dave,  eagerly. 

"  You've  struck  it,  messmate.  She  went  down  in 
the  storm  an'  we  come  putty  nigh  goin'  down  with 
her." 

"  Well,  you  shall  have  all  you  want  to  eat  in 
a  little  while.  Tell  me  where  the  others  of  our 
crowd  went." 

"  They  went  after  the  two  chaps  as  ran  away.'* 


INTO  A  CAVE  AND  OUT  205 

"  Ran  away?  "  cried  Dave.    "  From  where?  " 

"  From  here." 

"  They  must  have  been  Jasniff  and  Merwell  1  " 
murmured  Roger. 

"Who  were  those  fellows?"  asked  our  hero. 

"  Two  passengers  from  the  bark.  They  came 
ashore  with  us,  and  they  stayed  with  us  until  your 
captain  and  the  other  young  fellow  come  along. 
Then  they  up  anchors  and  away  like  the  old  Nick 
was  after  'em,"  explained  the  tar  who  had  first 
spoken. 

"Were  they  young  fellows  like  ourselves?" 

"  Yes, — a  bit  older,  maybe.  Named  Ford  and 
Smith." 

"  They  must  have  been  Jasniff  and  Merwell," 
said  Dave,  to  his  chum. 

"  I  wonder  if  they  managed  to  save  the  jewels," 
whispered  the  senator's  son. 

"  Did  they  have  any  baggage  ?  "  asked  Dave 
of  the  sailors. 

"Baggage?  Not  much!  We  didn't  have  no 
time  for  baggage  when  the  ship  went  down.  It 
was  every  man  fer  himself.  The  cap'n  got  off 
in  one  boat  with  some  o'  the  passengers,  an'  the 
mate  got  off  with  some  of  the  crew  in  another 
boat,  an'  we  got  off  by  ourselves.  It  was  blowin' 
big  guns,  I  can  tell  ye,  an'  it  looks  like  we  would 
be  swamped  most  every  minit.  I  knowed  about 
this  island  an'  I  steered  in  this  direction  as  well 


206      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

as  I  could,  an'  by  sheer  good  luck  we  struck  the 
shore — an'  here  we  are." 

"  What  became  of  the  other  boats?" 

"  Ain't  seen  nuthin'  of  'em  yet." 

"  Is  that  your  boat  was  split  in  two,  between  the 
rocks  in  that  direction?"  and  Dave  pointed  to 
where  such  a  craft  had  been  found  by  him  and 
Roger. 

"  That*s  her,  messmate.  Putty  badly  used  up, 
eh?" 

"'And  you  are  quite  sure  those  two  passengers 
had  no  baggage?"  went  on  our  hero,  after  a 
pause. 

"  Nary  a  thing,  messmate,  excepting  wot  they 
wore.  It  wasn't  no  time  to  think  o'  baggage,  it 
was  a  time  to  think  o'  what  to  do  to  save  vour 
life!" 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE   HURRICANE 

"  What  direction  did  those  fellows  who  ran 
away  take?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  That's  the  way  they  went,"  answered  one  of 
the  sailors,  pointing  to  some  heavy  undergrowth 
behind  the  camping-out  spot. 

"Where  does  that  lead  to,  do  you  know?" 
asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  Leads  to  a  spring  o'  fresh  water  an*  half  a 
dozen  big  caves,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Caves?  "  queried  Dave.  "  Then  perhaps  the 
fellows,  who  ran  away,  took  to  one  of  the  caves." 

"  Like  as  not,  messmate.  Them  two  chaps  have 
been  explorin'  them  caves  ever  since  we  came 
ashore." 

"  Let  us  walk  back  and  have  a  look,"  suggested 
our  hero.  "  We  may  be  able  to  give  Phil  and 
Captain  Sanders  some  assistance." 

Without  further  delay,  the  two  boys  left  the 
camp  of  the  castaways  and  hurried  along  a  small 
trail  through  the  bushes.  They  soon  came  to  a 
rocky  depression  in  the  midst  of  which  was  a  tiny 
spring. 

ao7 


2o8      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

*'  That  water  looks  good,"  exclaimed  Dave. 
"  Let  us  get  a  drink." 

*'  Perhaps  it  is  poisonous,  Dave." 

"If  it  was,  I  think  those  sailors  would  have 
warned  us." 

They  found  the  water  fairly  cold  and  of  a  good 
flavor,  and  each  drank  his  fill.  Then  Dave  flashed 
the  electric  light  around.  Ahead  they  made  out 
a  series  of  rocks,  with  here  and  there  a  gloomy 
opening,  leading  to  unknown  depths. 

"  This  is  Cave  Island  and  no  mistake,"  was  our 
hero's  comment.  "  The  place  seems  to  be  fairly 
honeycombed." 

"  Be  careful  that  you  don't  go  into  a  hole  and 
drop  out  of  sight,"  warned  his  chum. 

They  walked  to  the  entrance  of  one  of  the  caves 
and  peered  in.  All  was  dark  and  silent.  Then 
they  went  to  the  next  cave.  Here  they  caught  a 
glimmer  of  light. 

"  Somebody  is  moving  in  here  I  "  exclaimed 
Dave.    "  A  man  with  a  torch  1  " 

They  waited,  and  presently  saw  that  two  persons 
were  approaching  slowly,  having  to  pick  their  way 
over  the  uneven  rocks. 

"  They  are  the  captain  and  Phil,"  cried  Roger, 
and  set  up  a  faint  call. 

"  Hello  1  Who  is  that?  "  answered  the  captain 
of  the  Golden  Eagle. 

"  Dave  and  Roger  I  "  cried  Phil.    "  Oh,  say," 


THE  HURRICANE  209 

he  added,  eagerly,  "  we've  seen  Jasniff  and  Mer- 
welll" 

"  So  we  suspected,"  answered  Dave.  "  But  you 
didn't  catch  them?" 

"  No,  they  got  away  from  us,"  returned  Captain 
Sanders. 

"  In  this  cave?  "  queried  Roger. 

"  Yes." 

"  But  if  they  are  in  here,  we  can  get  them  sooner 
or  later,"  put  in  Dave. 

"  No,  my  lad.  There  are  several  openings  to 
these  caves.  We  found  one  at  the  far  end,  and 
I  reckon  those  rascals  got  away  through  it." 

"Did  you  speak  to  them  at  all?"  asked  our 
hero. 

"  Didn't  get  time,"  answered  Phil.  "  The  min- 
ute they  saw  us  they  ran  like  frightened  deer." 

"  Did  they  have  any  baggage,  Phil?  " 

"  Not  that  I  could  see.  I  rather  fancied  Jasniff 
had  a  small  bundle  under  his  coat,  but  I  may  have 
been  mistaken." 

"  The  sailors  said  they  came  ashore  without 
baggage.  Perhaps  the  jewels  went  down  with  the 
bark." 

"  Oh,  I  think  they'd  make  an  effort  to  save  such 
costly  gems — anybody  would." 

"  Not  if  they  were  thoroughly  scared,"  broke 
in  Captain  Sanders.  "  A  person  who  is  thoroughly 
scared  forgets  everything  but  to  save  his  life." 


2IO      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Then  you  haven't  any  idea  where  they  went 
to?" 

"  No,  lad.  But  I  don't  think  they'll  get  off  this 
island  in  a  hurry." 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  return  to  where 
the  four  sailors  were  encamped.  Then  the  whole 
party  proceeded  to  where  Billy  Dill  and  Smiley 
had  been  left. 

"  I  don't  think  it  will  be  safe  to  try  to  get 
through  those  breakers  in  the  darkness,"  said  Cap- 
tain Sande/s.  "  We  may  as  well  make  ourselves 
comfortable  until  morning.  We  have  plenty  of 
grub  on  hand,  so  you  fellows  shall  have  your  fill," 
he  went  on,  to  the  castaways. 

The  sailors  were  glad  enough  to  build  another 
campfire,  close  to  the  landing-place,  and  here  they 
were  served  with  all  the  food  and  drink  they 
wanted,  which  put  them  in  good  humor.  They 
related  the  particulars  of  how  the  Emma  Brower 
had  gone  down,  and  of  how  one  boat  after  another 
had  put  off  in  the  storm.  It  had  been  a  time  of 
great  excitement,  such  as  none  of  them  were  liable 
to  ever  forget. 

The  boys  were  worn  out  from  their  exertions 
and  willing  enough  to  rest.  They  fixed  up  some 
beds  of  boughs  and  were  soon  in  the  land  of 
dreams.  The  sailors  rested  also,  each,  however, 
taking  an  hour  at  watching,  by  orders  of  Captain 
Sanders. 


THE  HURRICANE  211 

It  was  about  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
Dave  awoke,  to  find  the  wind  blowing  furiously. 
Two  of  the  sailors  were  busy  stamping  out  the 
campfire,  for  the  burning  brands  were  flying  in  all 
directions,  threatening  to  set  fire  to  the  under- 
growth. 

"What's  this?"  he  asked  of  Captain  Sanders. 

"  No  telling,  lad,"  was  the  grave  reply. 
"  Looks  like  a  pretty  big  blow." 

"  More  like  a  hurricane  I  "  snorted  old  Billy 
Dill.    "  The  wind  is  growin'  wuss  each  minit  I  " 

*'  Draw  that  boat  up  into  the  bushes  and  fasten 
it  well,"  ordered  the  captain.  "  We  don't  want 
to  have  it  stove  in  or  floated  off  by  the  breakers." 
And  the  rowboat  was  carried  to  a  place  of 
safety. 

"Where  is  the  ship?"  asked  Roger. 

"  Slipped  away  when  the  blow  came  up,"  an- 
swered the  captain.  "  An'  I  hope  the  mate  knows 
enough  to  keep  away,"  he  added,  gravely. 

Soon  it  started  to  rain,  first  a  few  scattering 
drops  and  then  a  perfect  deluge.  The  castaways 
spoke  of  a  cave  that  was  near  by,  and  all  hurried 
in  that  direction,  taking  the  stores  from  the  boat 
with  them. 

"  How  long  will  this  last,  do  you  think?  "  asked 
Phil,  of  the  master  of  the  Golden  Eagle. 

"No  telling.  Maybe  only  to-day,  maybe  sev- 
eral days." 


212      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  If  it  last  several  days,  we'll  have  a  time  of  it 
getting  food,"  broke  in  the  senator's  son. 

"  We'll  watch  out  for  fish  and  turtles,"  said 
Billy  Dill.  "  Nothin'  like  turtles  when  you  are 
good  an'  hungry." 

"  That's  true,"  answered  Dave.  He  had  not 
forgotten  the  big  turtle  the  old  tar  had  managed  to 
catch  down  on  one  of  the  islands  in  the  South 
Seas. 

Soon  it  was  raining  so  hard  that  but  little  could 
be  seen  beyond  the  entrance  to  the  cave.  The  wind 
moaned  and  shrieked  throughout  the  cavern, 
which  happened  to  have  several  entrances.  Once 
it  became  so  strong  that  it  almost  lifted  the  boys 
from  their  feet.  The  rain  drove  in  at  times,  and 
they  had  to  get  into  a  split  in  the  rocks  to  keep  dry. 

"  Harkl  what  was  that?  "  cried  Roger,  during 
a  lull  in  the  wind. 

"  I  heard  thunder;  that's  all,"  answered  Phil. 

"  I  think  a  tree  must  have  been  struck  by  light- 
ning," answered  Captain  Sanders.  "  The  light- 
ning is  getting  pretty  fierce,"  he  added,  as  a  bril- 
liant illumination  filled  the  cavern. 

"Wonder  where  Jasniff  and  Merwell  are?'* 
whispered  Phil,  to  his  chums,  "  I'll  wager  this 
storm  scares  'em  half  to  death." 

"  Yes,  and  those  four  Englishmen,"  added 
Dave.  "  Don't  forget  that  they  were  coming  to 
this  island." 


THE  HURRICANE  ai3 

Slowly  the  hours  of  the  morning  dragged  by. 
There  was  no  let-up  in  the  hurricane,  for  such  it 
really  proved  to  be.  The  wind  blew  strongly  all 
the  time,  but  occasionally  would  come  a  heavy 
blast  that  fairly  made  the  island  tremble.  The 
lightning  had  died  away  somewhat,  but  now  and 
then  would  come  a  great  flash,  followed  by  a 
crash  and  rumble  that  would  echo  and  reecho 
among  the  rocks. 

"  Just  look  at  the  ocean !  "  cried  Dave,  as  he 
and  his  chums  walked  to  one  corner  of  the  entrance 
to  gaze  out. 

"  The  waves  seem  to  be  mountain-high,"  re- 
turned Phil.  "  You  wouldn't  think  it  possible  a 
ship  could  live  on  such  a  sea." 

"  Well,  it  is  mighty  dangerous,  Phil;  you  know 
that  as  well  as  I  do." 

"  I  hope  the  Golden  Eagle  weathers  the 
storm." 

"  We  all  hope  that." 

Dinner  was  a  rather  scanty  meal,  cooked  with 
great  difficulty  in  a  hollow  of  the  rocks.  The 
smoke  from  the  fire  rolled  and  swirled  in  all  di- 
rections, nearly  blinding  everybody.  But  the  re- 
past was  better  than  nothing,  and  nobody  grum- 
bled. 

By  nightfall  the  rain  ceased.  But  the  wind  was 
almost  as  strong  as  ever,  and  when  those  in  the 
cave  ventured  outside  they  had  to  be  on  guard, 


214      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

for  fear  a  flying  tree-branch  would  come  down  on 
their  heads. 

Captain  Sanders  was  much  worried  over  the 
safety  of  his  vessel,  but  he  did  not  let  on  to  the 
boys,  since  it  would  have  done  no  good.  But  the 
lads  understood,  and  they,  too,  were  more  or  less 
alarmed,  remembering  the  fate  that  had  overtaken 
the  Emma  Brower  in  a  storm  that  had  been  no 
worse  than  the  present  one. 

With  so  much  rain  driving  in,  the  cave  was  a 
damp  place,  and  the  boys  were  glad  enough  to  go 
outside.  They  looked  for  wood  that  might  be 
easily  dried,  and  after  much  difficulty,  succeeded 
in  starting  up  a  new  campfire,  around  which  the 
whole  crowd  gathered. 

"  I'm  goin'  to  try  my  luck  along  shore,"  said 
Billy  Dill,  and  started  off  with  Dave,  Phil,  and 
Roger,  to  see  if  any  fish  or  turtles  could  be  located. 
They  found  the  shore  strewn  with  wreckage. 

"Oh,  Billy,  can  this  be  from  our  ship?"  ex- 
claimed Phil,  in  alarm. 

"  I  don't  think  so,  lad.  Looks  to  me  like  it 
had  been  in  the  water  some  days.  I  reckon  it's 
from  the  Emma  Brower,  or  some  other  craft." 
In  the  wreckage  they  found  the  remains  of  sev- 
eral boxes  and  barrels.  But  the  contents  had  be- 
come water-soaked  or  had  sunk  to  the  bottom  of 
the  sea ;  so  there  was  nothing  in  the  shape  of  food 
for   them.      They   also   came   across    the   main- 


THE  HURRICANE  215 

mast  of  the  bark,  with  some  of  the  stays  still 
dragging  around  it. 

"  That  will  do  for  a  pole,  in  case  we  wish 
to  hoist  a  flag,"  suggested  the  senator's  son. 

They  found  neither  fish  nor  turtles,  and  at  last 
had  to  return  to  the  campfire  disappointed.  There 
was  next  to  nothing  to  eat  for  supper. 

*'  Well,  better  luck  in  the  morning,"  said  Cap- 
tain Sanders,  with  an  air  of  cheerfulness  he  did 
not  feel.  "  As  soon  as  this  wind  dies  down  our 
ship  will  come  back,  and  then  we'll  have  all  we 
want  to  eat." 

It  was  a  long,  dreary  night  that  followed,  and 
the  boys  were  glad  to  behold  the  sun  come  up 
brightly  in  the  morning.  Dave  was  the  first  up, 
but  his  chums  quickly  followed,  and  all  went  down 
to  the  beach,  to  look  for  fish  and  also  to  see  if  the 
Golden  Eagle  was  anywhere  in  sight. 

This  time  they  had  better  luck,  so  far  as  food 
was  concerned.  In  a  hollow  they  found  over  a 
score  of  fish  that  had  been  cast  from  the  ocean 
by  the  breakers,  and  they  also  found  a  fine  turtle 
that  was  pinned  down  by  a  fallen  tree. 

*'  That's  a  new  way  to  catch  a  turtle,"  remarked 
Dave.     "  It's  a  regular  trap." 

"  Turtle  soup,  yum !  yum !"  murmured  Phil. 

"  And  broiled  fish, — all  you  want,  too!  "  added 
Roger,  smacking  his  lips. 

When  they  got  back  to  the  camp  they  found  that 


2i6      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

the  fire  had  been  renewed,  and  soon  the  appetizing 
odor  of  broiling  fish  filled  the  air.  Then  Captain 
Sanders  and  one  of  the  castaway  sailors  came  in 
from  a  walk  in  another  direction,  carrying  an  air- 
tight canister,  which,  on  being  opened,  was  found 
to  contain  fancy  crackers. 

"  There  is  a  good  deal  of  wreckage  down  on  the 
beach,"  said  the  captain.  "  We'll  inspect  it  after 
breakfast." 

Having  eaten  their  fill  of  the  fish  and  the 
crackers,  and  leaving  Billy  Dill  and  some  of  the 
others  busy  making  turtle  soup,  the  boys  and  Cap- 
tain Sanders  took  another  walk  along  the  beach, 
to  look  over  *he  wreckage  and  also  see  if  they 
could  sight  the  Golden  Eagle,  or  locate  Jasniff 
or  Merwell. 

"  I  hope  we  can  find  those  two  fellows,"  said 
Dave.  "  I  can  stand  this  suspense  no  longer.  I 
must  know  what  has  become  of  those  jewels  I  " 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY 

A  HALF-MILE  was  covercd  when,  on  turning  a 

point  of  rocks,  the  boys  and  the  captain  came  to 

a  sandy  cove.     Here  was  more  of  the  wreckage, 

and  the  whole  party  ran  down  to  the  beach  to 

investigate. 

Boxes,  barrels,  and  bits  of  timber  were  strewn 
from  one  end  of  the  cove  to  the  other,  and  in  the 
mass  were  a  number  of  things  of  more  or  less 
value — timber,  food,  and  some  clothing.  There 
was  also  a  trunk,  but  it  was  open  and  empty. 

"  Look  I  "  cried  Dave,  suddenly,  and  pointed  to 
a  small,  black  leather  case,  that  rested  on  some  of 
the  wreckage. 

"What  is  it?"  queried  Phil  and  Roger,  in  a 
breath. 

Dave  did  not  reply,  for  he  was  crawling  over 
the  wreckage  with  care.  Soon  he  reached  the  spot 
where  the  black  leather  case  rested,  caught  on  a 
nail,  and  he  picked  it  up.  The  clasp  was  undone 
and  the  case  fell  open,  revealing  the  interior,  which 
was  lined  with  white  plush. 

"  Empty  I  "  murmured  Dave,  sadly.  "  Empty  I  ** 
317 


2i8      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

There  was  a  groan  in  his  voice  as  he  uttered 
the  word. 

"What  is  it,  Dave?"  asked  the  senator's  son, 
although  he  and  Phil  guessed  the  truth. 

"  It's  the  Carwith  jewel-case,"  was  the  answer. 
"  The  very  case  that  Mr.  Carwith  left  with  Mr. 
Wadsworth !  " 

"Are  you  certain?"  demanded  Phil. 

"  Yes,  for  here  is  the  name, '  Ridgewood  Osgood 
Carwith,'  stamped  in  gold  on  the  top." 

"  And  empty,"  murmured  the  captain.  "  This 
looks  bad,"  and  he  shook  his  head,  thought- 
fully. 

"  Maybe  Jasniff  and  Merwell  took  the  jewels 
from  the  case,"  suggested  Roger,  hopefully. 

"  It  is  possible,  Roger.  But — but — I  am  afraid 
the  jewels  are  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,"  an- 
swered Dave,  and  his  face  showed  how  downcast 
he  felt. 

"  They  might  have  taken  the  jewels  and  divided 
them  between  themselves,"  said  Phil.  "  Maybe 
they  put  them  in  money-belts,  or  something  like 
that.  They  might  think  that  the  sailors  would 
rob  them,  if  they  saw  the  case." 

"  It's  possible,  Phil,  and  I  hope  you  are  right," 
answered  our  hero.  But  in  his  heart  he  was  still 
afraid  that  the  gems  had  gone  to  the  bottom  of 
the  Atlantic. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  climb  to  the  top  of 


A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY  219 

yonder  rise  and  take  a  look  around  the  island," 
said  the  captain.  "  For  all  we  know,  the  Golden 
Eagle  may  be  on  the  other  side.  I  sincerely  hope 
she  has  weathered  the  storm." 

Placing  the  jewel-case  in  a  safe  place  between 
the  rocks,  the  party  commenced  to  climb  the  rise 
of  ground  the  captain  had  pointed  out.  This  was 
no  easy  task,  since  the  rocks  were  rough  and 
there  were  many  openings,  leading  to  the  caves 
below. 

"  We  don't  want  another  tumble,"  remarked 
Roger  to  Dave. 

"  Hardly,  Roger;  once  was  enough." 

The  sun  had  come  out  strongly,  consequently 
the  water  was  drying  away  rapidly.  It  was  very 
warm,  and  the  boys  were  glad  that  they  had 
donned  thin  clothing  on  leaving  the  ship. 

At  last  they  reached  the  top  of  the  rise  and 
from  that  elevation  were  able  to  see  all  but  the 
southern  end  of  Cave  Island,  which  was  hidden  by 
a  growth  of  palms. 

Not  a  ship  of  any  kind  was  In  sight,  much  to 
the  captain's  disappointment. 

"  Must  have  had  to  sail  away  a  good  many 
miles,"  said  Dave. 

"  Either  that,  lad,  or  else  the  storm  caused 
more  or  less  trouble." 

From  the  elevation,  all  took  a  good  look  at 
every  part  of  the  island  that  could  be  seen.    They 


220      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

saw  several  other  rocky  elevations  and  the  en- 
trances to  caves  innumerable. 

"  Tell  you  one  thing,"  remarked  Phil.  "  If 
there  was  any  truth  in  that  story  of  a  pirates' 
treasure,  the  pirates  would  have  plenty  of  places 
where  to  hide  the  hoard." 

"  Humph  1  I  don't  believe  in  the  treasure  and 
never  will,"  returned  Roger.  "  If  the  treasure 
was  ever  here,  you  can  make  up  your  mind  that 
somebody  got  hold  of  it  long  before  this." 

"  If  those  Englishmen  came  here,  it  is  queer 
that  we  don't  see  some  trace  of  them,"  said  Cap- 
tain Sanders. 

"  Maybe  they  are  like  Jasniff  and  Merwell, 
keeping  out  of  sight,"  ventured  Dave. 

"  That  may  be  true." 

**  I  think  I  see  some  figures  moving  down  near 
the  shore  over  there,"  continued  Roger,  after  an- 
other look  around.  *'  But  they  are  so  far  off  I 
am  not  sure.    They  may  be  animals." 

"  They  look  like  two  men  to  me,"  exclaimed 
Dave,  after  a  long  look.  "  What  if  they  should 
be  Jasniff  and  Merwell  1  Oh,  let  us  walk  there 
and  make  sure  I  " 

"  That's  a  good,  stiff  walk,"  answered  Captain 
Sanders.  "  We  can't  go  from  here  very  well — 
unless  we  want  to  climb  over  some  rough  rocks. 
It  would  be  better  to  go  down  and  follow  the 
shore." 


A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY  221 

"  Then  let  us  do  that.  It  won't  do  us  any  good 
to  go  back  to  where  we  left  the  others,  now  the 
ship  isn't  in  sight." 

But  the  captain  demurred,  and  finally  it  was 
agreed  to  return  to  camp  and  start  out  for  the 
other  side  of  the  island  directly  after  dinner. 

"  Turtle  soup  for  all  hands  1  "  announced  Billy 
Dill,  proudly.     "  Best  ever  made,  too." 

"  It  certainly  smells  good,"  answered  Dave. 

The  turtle  soup  proved  both  palatable  and 
nourishing,  and,  eaten  with  crackers,  made  a  good 
meal. 

"  We'll  take  some  crackers  and  fish  along," 
said  the  captain,  to  the  boys,  when  they  were  pre- 
paring to  leave  the  camp  again.  "  For  there  is 
no  telling  how  soon  we'll  get  back.  It  may  take 
us  longer  than  we  think  to  reach  the  other  side 
of  this  island." 

"  I've  got  a  knapsack,"  said  one  of  the  cast- 
away sailors.  "  You  can  take  that  along,  filled," 
and  so  it  was  arranged.  Dave  carried  his  gun 
and  the  captain  had  a  pistol. 

"  If  there  is  any  game,  we'll  have  a  try  for  it," 
said  Dave.  "  Even  a  few  plump  birds  would  make 
fine  eating." 

"  Yes,  or  a  rabbit  or  hare,"  added  Roger. 

The  party  walked  along  the  shore  as  far  as  they 
could  go  and  then,  coming  to  what  appeared  to 
be  an  old  trail,  took  to  that. 


222      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  What  do  you  make  of  this  path?  "  said  Dave. 
"  I  had  an  idea  the  island  was  uninhabited." 

"  It  is  supposed  to  be,"  answered  Captain  San- 
ders. "  But  there  is  no  reason  why  somebody 
shouldn't  live  here." 

Presently  they  came  to  a  fine  spring  of  water. 
Near  by  lay  an  old  rusty  cup,  and  a  little  further 
on  a  broken  bucket. 

"  Somebody  has  been  here  and  that  recently," 
was  Dave's  comment.  "  I  hope  we  are  on  the  trail 
of  Merwell  and  Jasniflf." 

They  walked  on  a  little  further  and  then,  of  a 
sudden.  Captain  Sanders  halted  the  boys  and 
pointed  up  into  one  of  the  trees. 

"Wild  pigeons  I"  exclaimed  Dave.  "And 
hundreds  of  them !  Shall  I  give  them  a  couple  of 
barrels,  captain?  " 

"  Might  as  well,  lad.  Wild  pigeons  are  good 
eating,  especially  when  you  are  hungry.  Get  as 
many  of  'em  as  you  can." 

Dave  approached  a  little  closer  and  took  aim 
with  care.  Bang!  went  the  shotgun,  and  a  wild 
fluttering  and  flying  followed.  Bang  I  went  the 
second  barrel  of  the  weapon,  and  then,  as  the 
smoke  cleared  away,  the  boys  and  the  captain  saw 
seven  of  the  pigeons  come  down  to  the  ground. 
Several  others  fluttered  around  and  Phil  caught 
one  and  wrung  its  neck,  and  Roger  laid  another 
low  with  a  stick  he  had  picked  up. 


A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY  223 

"  Fine  shots,  both  of  them,"  declared  Captain 
Sanders.  "  Now  load  up  again,  Dave,  so  as  to  be 
ready  for  anything  else  that  shows  up." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have  scared  the  rest  of  the 
game,"  declared  our  hero,  and  so  it  proved,  for 
after  that  they  saw  nothing  but  some  small  birds. 

They  passed  through  a  thick  woods  and  then 
came  rather  unexpectedly  to  a  wall  of  rocks,  all  of 
a  hundred  feet  in  height.  At  the  base  of  the 
wall  was  an  opening  leading  into  a  broad  cave. 
Near  the  entrance  was  the  remains  of  a  camp- 
fire. 

"  Somebody  has  been  here  and  that  recently  1  " 
cried  Phil,  as  he  examined  the  embers. 

"  Must  be  Merwell  and  Jasniff !  "  cried  Dave. 
"  For  if  they  were  strangers  they  would  come  out 
and  see  what  the  shooting  meant." 

"  Shall  we  go  into  the  cave,  or  continue  on  the 
way  to  the  shore?"  questioned  the  senator's  son. 

"  Oh,  let  us  take  a  peep  into  the  cave  first," 
cried  Phil.     "  It  looks  as  if  it  was  inhabited." 

The  others  were  willing,  and  lighting  a  fire- 
brand that  was  handy,  they  entered  the  cavern. 
In  front  they  found  the  opening  to  be  broad  and 
low,  but  in  the  rear  the  ceiling  was  much  higher 
and  there  were  several  passageways  leading  in  as 
many  different  directions. 

"  What  an  island !  "  murmured  Roger.  "  Why, 
one  could  spend  a  year  in  visiting  all  the  caves !  " 


224      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  It's  like  a  great,  big  sponge !  "  returned  Phil. 
"  Holes  everywhere  I  " 

"  Take  care  that  you  don't  slip  down  into  some 
opening !  "  warned  Captain  Sanders. 

In  one  of  the  passages  they  came  across  the  re- 
mains of  a  meal  and  also  some  empty  bottles. 
Then  Dave  saw  some  bits  of  paper  strewn  over 
the  rocky  floor. 

"What  are  they,  Phil?"  he  asked,  and  then 
both  commenced  to  pick  the  pieces  up.  Roger 
helped,  while  the  captain  held  the  firebrand. 

"  Well,  of  all  things  I  "  cried  the  shipowner's 
son.    "  Now  what  do  you  make  of  this?  " 

"  The  chart  I  "  cried  Dave. 

"Yes!" 

"What  chart?"  queried  the  master  of  the 
Golden  Eagle. 

"  The  treasure  chart  those  four  Englishmen 
had,"  answered  Dave.  "  Now  what  made  them 
come  here  with  it  and  tear  it  to  pieces?  " 

"  Hum  I  "  mused  the  captain.  "  One  of  two 
things  would  make  'em  do  that,  lad.  Either  they 
got  the  treasure  and  had  no  further  use  for  the 
map,  or  else  they  found  the  whole  thing  was  a 
fake  and  in  their  rage  they  tore  the  map  to 
shreds." 

"  They  must  have  gotten  the  gold !  "  murmured 
Roger  and  Phil. 

"  No,  I  think  they  got  fooled,"  said  Dave. 


A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY  225 

"  The  question  is,  If  those  Britishers  were  here, 
where  did  they  go  to?"  asked  the  captain. 

"  Let  us  call,"  suggested  Dave.  "  They  may 
be  in  some  part  of  this  cave  where  they  couldn't 
hear  the  shots  from  my  gun." 

All  called  out  several  times,  and  listened  in- 
tently for  a  reply. 

"Hark!  I  hear  something  I"  cried  Roger. 
"Listen!" 

They  strained  their  ears,  and  from  what  ap- 
peared to  be  a  great  distance  they  heard  a  human 
voice.  But  what  was  said  they  could  not  make 
out. 

"  Too  many  echoes  here,"  declared  the  captain. 
"  A  fellow  can't  tell  where  the  cry  comes  from." 

"  Well,  let  us  investigate,"  said  our  hero. 

They  moved  forward  and  backward,  up  one 
passageway  and  down  another,  calling  and  listen- 
ing. At  times  the  voice  seemed  to  be  quite  close, 
then  it  sounded  further  off  than  ever. 

"  This  sure  is  a  mystery !  "  declared  Phil. 
"  What  do  you  make  of  it,  Dave?  " 

"  I  am  beginning  to  think  the  call  came  from 
somewhere  overhead,"  answered  our  hero.  "  Cap- 
tain, see  if  you  can  flash  a  light  on  those  rocks  to 
the  left  of  our  heads." 

Captain  Sanders  did  as  requested,  and  presently 
all  in  the  party  saw  another  passageway,  leading 
up  from  a  series  of  rocks  that  formed  something 


226      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

of  a  natural  stairway.  Up  this  they  went,  Dave 
leading  the  van.  Then  they  came  to  a  small  open- 
ing between  two  rocks. 

"  Help  1  help  1  "  came  in  a  half-smothered  voice. 
"  Help,  please.  Don't  leave  me  here  in  the  dark 
any  longer  I  " 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

JASNIFF  AND   MERWELL 

"It's  a  man  I" 

"  One  of  the  Englishmen  I  " 

"  You  are  right,  lads,"  came  from  Captain 
Sanders.  "  And  see,  he  is  bound  hands  and  feet 
to  the  rocks !  " 

What  the  master  of  the  Golden  Eagle  said  was 
true,  and  as  the  firebrand  was  flashed  on  the  scene, 
the  chums  could  do  little  but  stare  in  astonishment. 

Lying  on  his  back  between  the  rocks  was  the 
Englishman  named  Giles  Borden.  Hands  and 
feet  were  bound  with  a  strong  cord,  which  ran 
around  a  projection  of  the  rocks  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  prisoner  could  scarcely  move. 

"  Who  tied  you  up  ?  "  questioned  Dave,  as  he 
and  Phil  set  to  work  to  liberate  the  prisoner. 

"  Geswick,  Pardell,  and  Rumney,"  groaned  the 
prisoner.    "  Oh,  if  only  I  had  my  hands  on  them !  " 

"  Why  did  they  do  it?  "  asked  Captain  Sanders. 

"  They  wanted  to  rob  me — and  they  did  rob 
me !  "  answered  Giles  Borden.  "  Oh,  help  me 
out  of  this  wretched  hole  and  give  me  a  drink  of 
water!    I  am  dying  from  thirst  1 " 


228      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Not  without  difficulty  the  man  was  freed  of  the 
rope  and  helped  to  get  out  from  between  the  rocks. 
Then  Dave  and  Roger  half  carried  him  down  to 
the  cave  proper.  The  crowd  had  a  canteen  of 
water  and  the  man  drank,  eagerly. 

"  So  your  friends  robbed  you  ?  "  said  Captain 
Sanders,  curiously. 

"  Do  not  call  them  friends  of  mine !  "  returned 
Giles  Borden.  "  They  are  not  friends — they  are 
vipers,  wolves  I  Oh,  if  ever  I  meet  them  again  at 
home  I'll  soon  have  them  in  prison,  or  know  the 
reason  why !  " 

"  Hadn't  you  better  tell  us  all  about  it?  "  went 
on  the  master  of  the  Golden  Eagle. 

"  Wait  a  minute  I  "  cried  Dave.  "  Do  you  sup- 
pose those  men  are  anywhere  near  here?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  They  said  they  would  be  back, 
but  they  did  not  come." 

"  They  may  have  seen  us  and  skipped  out," 
ventured  the  senator's  son. 

"  More  than  likely,"  groaned  Giles  Borden. 
"  Now  that  they  have  my  money  they  won't  want 
to  stay  here.  They'll  take  passage  on  that  ship  as 
soon  as  she  comes  in  and  leave  me  to  shift  for 
myself." 

"  Tell  us  your  story,  so  we  can  understand  what 
you  are  talking  about,"  said  Captain  Sanders. 

In  a  disconnected  manner  the  Englishman  re- 
lated his  tale,  pausing  occasionally  to  take  another 


JASNIFF  AND  MERWELL  229 

drink  of  water.  He  said  he  was  from  London 
and  had  met  Geswick,  Pardell,  and  Rumncy  1cm 
than  six  months  before.  They  had  come  to  him 
with  the  story  of  a  wonderful  pirates'  treasure 
said  to  be  hidden  on  Cave  Island,  and  had  asked 
him  to  finance  an  expedition  in  search  of  it. 

"  I  had  just  fallen  heir  to  five  thousand  pounds 
through  the  death  of  my  father,"  he  went  on,  "  and 
I  was  anxious  to  get  the  treasure,  so  I  consented 
to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  trip,  taking  the  three 
men  along.  They  had  the  chart  that  you  saw  on 
shipboard  and  some  other  particulars,  and  they 
made  me  bring  along  a  thousand  pounds  extra^ 
stating  that  we  might  have  to  pay  some  natives 
well  to  get  them  to  show  us  where  the  particular 
cave  we  were  seeking  was  located." 

Then  had  followed  the  trip  to  Florida  and  the 
one  to  Barbados.  At  the  latter  island  a  schooner 
had  been  chartered  to  take  them  to  Cave  Island, 
where  they  were  landed  on  the  eastern  shore.  The 
schooner  was  to  come  back  for  the  Englishmen  a 
week  later. 

"  As  soon  as  the  treasure  hunt  began  I  suspected 
that  I  was  being  hoaxed,"  continued  Giles  Borden. 
**  For  all  I  knew,  we  were  alone  on  the  island. 
We  found  several  huts,  but  they  were  all  deserted. 
We  visited  a  score  of  caves,  but  saw  nothing  that 
looked  like  a  treasure.  Then,  one  afternoon,  Ges- 
wick asked  me  about  the  extra  thousand  pounds 


230      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

I  was  carrying.  I  grew  suspicious  and  tried  to 
hide  the  money  between  the  rocks.  The  three 
caught  me  at  it  and  pounced  on  the  money  like  a 
pack  of  wolves.  Then,  when  I  remonstrated,  they 
laughed  at  me,  and  told  me  to  keep  quiet,  that 
they  were  going  to  run  matters  to  suit  themselves." 

"  They  must  have  intended  to  rob  you  from  the 
start,"  said  Dave. 

"  You  are  right,  and  I  was  a  fool  to  trust  them. 
As  soon  as  they  had  my  money,  one  of  them, 
Rumney,  tore  up  the  chart  and  threw  the  pieces 
in  my  face.  That  angered  me  so  greatly  that  I 
struck  him  with  my  fist,  knocking  him  down.  Then 
the  three  leaped  on  me  and  made  me  a  prisoner, 
binding  me  with  the  rope.  I  tried  my  best  to  get 
away,  but  could  not.  That  was  at  night.  In  the 
morning  they  went  off,  saying  they  would  come 
back  later  and  give  me  something  to  eat.  But 
that  is  the  last  I  have  seen  or  heard  of  them." 

"  If  we  hadn't  found  you,  you  might  have 
starved  to  death,"  murmured  Captain  Sanders. 
*'  They  ought  to  be  punished  heavily  for  this — and 
for  robbing  you  I  " 

The  Englishman  was  glad  enough  to  get  some- 
thing to  eat,  and  then  said  he  felt  much  stronger. 

"  But  what  brings  you  to  this  island?  "  he  ques- 
tioned, while  partaking  of  the  food. 

"  W^e  are  after  a  pair  of  criminals,"  answered 
Dave,  as  the  others  looked  at  him,  not  knowing 


JASNIFF  AND  MERWELL  231 

what  to  say.  "  Two  young  fellows  who  ran  away 
with  some  valuable  jewels.  I  suppose  you  saw 
nothing  of  them." 

"  No,  as  I  said  before,  we  saw  nobody." 

"  They  are  on  this  island." 

"  Then  I  hope  you  catch  them.  And  I  hope 
you'll  aid  me  in  catching  those  other  scamps." 

"  We'll  certainly  do  that,"  answered  Captain 
ianders. 

A  little  later  the  whole  party  left  the  cave,  and 
Giles  Borden  pointed  out  a  number  of  other  caves 
he  had  visited. 

"  The  island  is  full  of  them,"  declared  the 
Englishman.  "  And  one  has  to  be  careful,  for  fear 
of  falling  into  a  hole  at  every  step." 

The  middle  of  the  afternoon  found  the  party 
once  more  at  the  water's  edge.  They  had  seen 
no  trace  of  Jasniff  and  Merwell,  or  of  the  rascally 
Englishmen.  All  were  tired  out  and  content  to 
rest  for  a  little  while. 

"  Looks  like  a  wild  goose  chase,  doesn't  it, 
Dave  ?  "  remarked  Roger. 

"  Oh,  you  mustn't  grow  discouraged  so  quickly, 
Roger,"  was  Dave's  answer.  "  Unless  Jasniff  and 
Merwell  have  a  chance  to  leave  this  island  we'll 
be  sure  to  locate  them,  sooner  or  later.  What  I 
am  worried  about  mostly  is  the  question:  Have 
they  the  jewels  or  did  the  gems  go  to  the  bottom 
of  the  ocean?  " 


232      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Yes,  that's  the  most  important  question  of  all.'* 

"  It  will  be  poor  consolation  to  catch  Jasniff 
and  Merwell  and  not  get  the  jewels,"  put  in  Phil. 
"  I  reckon,  Dave,  you'd  rather  have  it  the  other 
way  around — get  the  jewels  and  miss  Jasniff  and 
Merwell." 

"  Indeed,  yes,  Phil." 

"  In  case  we  don't "  began  the  senator's  son, 

and  then  stopped  short.  He  had  seen  Captain 
Sanders  leap  up  and  start  inland. 

"  What  did  you  see,  Captain?  "  asked  Dave. 

'*  I  saw  somebody  looking  at  us,  from  behind 
yonder  trees  1  "  cried  the  master  of  the  Golden 
Eagle. 

"One  of  the  Englishmen?"  queried  Phil. 

"  No,  it  was  somebody  younger — looked  a  little 
like  that  picture  of  Link  Merwell !  " 

"  Come  on — after  them  1  "  cried  Dave,  and 
started  on  a  run  in  the  direction  the  captain  in- 
dicated. 

All  were  soon  on  the  way,  climbing  over  some 
rough  rocks  at  first  and  then  crashing  through 
the  heavy  undergrowth.  Then  they  entered  a  for- 
est of  tropical  trees  and  vines. 

"  I  see  them  I  "  exclaimed  Dave,  after  several 
hundred  feet  had  been  covered.  "  Jasniflf  and 
Merwell  as  sure  as  you  live !  Stop !  Stop,  I  tell 
you !  "  he  called  out. 

"  You  keep  back,  Dave  Porter  I  "  yelled  Nick 


JASNIFF  AND  MERWELL  233 

Jasniff  in  return.  *'  Keep  back,  or  it  will  be  the 
worse  for  you !  " 

"Jasniff,  you  had  better  surrender  1"  cried 
Roger. 

"We'll  be  sure  to  get  you  sooner  or  later!" 
added  Phil. 

"  You'll  never  catch  me  I  "  answered  the  other. 
"  Now  keep  back,  or  maybe  somebody  will  get 
shot." 

"Do  you  think  he'll  shoot?"  asked  Captain 
Sanders,  in  some  alarm,  while  Giles  Borden  stopped 
short. 

"  Possibly,"  answered  Dave.  "  But  I  am  going 
after  him  anyway,"  he  added  sturdily.  "  I  came 
here  to  catch  those  rascals  and  I  am  going  to  do 
it." 

"And  I  am  with  you,"  said  Phil,  promptly. 

"  Scare  'em  with  your  gun,  Dave,"  suggested 
the  senator's  son. 

"  I  will,"  was  our  hero's  reply,  and  he  brought 
the  weapon  to  the  front.  "  I've  got  a  gun,  Jas- 
niff !  "  he  called  out.  "  You  had  better  stop  1 
And  you  had  better  stop  too,  Merwell  I" 

"  Don't  yo-you  shoot  at  us !  "  screamed  Link 
Merwell,  in  sudden  terror.  And  then  he  ran  with 
all  speed  for  the  nearest  trees  and  dove  out  of 
sight.  The  next  instant  Jasniff  disappeared,  like- 
wise. 

Dave  was  now  thoroughly  aroused,  and  he  re- 


234      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

solved  to  do  his  best  to  run  the  rascals  down  and 
corner  them.  Shifting  his  shotgun  once  more  to 
his  back,  he  ran  on  in  the  direction  the  pair  had 
taken,  and  Roger,  Phil,  and  the  captain  and  the 
Englishman  followed. 

Listening  occasionally,  they  could  hear  Jasniff 
and  Merwell  crashing  through  the  undergrowth 
and  at  the  same  time  calling  to  each  other.  Evi- 
dently they  had  become  separated  and  were  trying 
to  get  together  again. 

As  they  advanced  into  the  forest,  Dave  caught 
sight  of  Merwell.  He  was  behind  a  low  fringe 
of  bushes  and  an  instant  later  disappeared. 

"  Stop,  Merwell  I  "  he  called  out.  "  It  won't 
do  you  any  good  to  run.  We  are  bound  to  catch 
you,  sooner  or  later." 

*' Yo-you  let  me  alone,  Dave  Porter!"  splut- 
tered Merwell.  He  was  almost  out  of  breath,  so 
violent  had  been  his  exertions. 

Dave  kept  on  and  soon  reached  the  low  bushes. 
Then  he  saw  Merwell  again,  this  time  leaping  for 
some  brushwood  between  two  tall  rocks. 

"  I've  got  you  now!  "  he  said,  sharply.  "  You 
may  as  well  give  in  I  " 

"  Oh,  Porter,  please  let  me "  commenced 

Link  Merwell,  and  then  Dave's  hand  caught  him 
by  the  shoulder  and  whirled  him  about. 

As  this  happened  something  else  occurred  that 


JASNIFF  AND  MERWELL  235 

filled  both  pursued  and  pursuer  with  alarm.  The 
grass  and  brushwood  under  their  feet  began  to  give 
way.  Then  of  a  sudden  Link  Merwell  sank  from 
sight,  and  Dave  disappeared  after  him  I 

In  the  meanwhile  Phil  and  the  others  kept  on  in 
the  direction  Nick  Jasniff  had  taken.  Twice  they 
caught  sight  of  the  former  bully  of  Oak  Hall,  but 
each  time  he  was  further  away  than  before. 

"  You'll  not  catch  me  I  "  cried  Jasniff.  "  You 
might  as  well  give  up  trying."  Then  he  dove  into 
another  section  of  the  forest  and  they  saw  no 
more  of  him. 

"What  has  become  of  Dave?"  asked  Phil, 
when  he  and  Roger  came  together,  a  little 
later. 

"  I  thought  he  was  with  you,  Phil." 

"And  I  thought  he  was  with  you." 

"  He  went  after  that  other  chap,"  put  in  Cap- 
tain Sanders.  "  Perhaps  he  caught  him.  They 
were  over  in  that  direction,"  and  the  captain 
pointed  with  his  hand. 

All  proceeded  in  the  direction  indicated.  But 
they  did  not  catch  sight  of  either  Dave  or  Mer- 
well. 

"  Well,  this  is  strange,  to  say  the  least,"  re- 
marked Phil,  after  they  had  called  out  several 
times.     "What  do  you  make  of  it,  Roger?" 

"  I'm  sure  I   don't  know,  Phil.     They  can't 


236      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

have  gotten  so  far  away  but  what  they  could  hear 
us  call." 

"  Maybe  they  fell  into  one  of  the  caves,"  sug- 
gested Captain  Sanders. 

"  If  they  have,  we  had  better  hunt  for  Dave  at 
once,"  returned  Roger. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

LINK  MERWELL'S   STORY 

Down  and  down  and  still  down  went  Dave, 
with  Link  Merwell  in  front  of  him.  Daylight 
was  left  behind  with  a  suddenness  that  was  ap- 
palling. The  brushwood  scratched  our  hero's 
face  and  he  could  not  repress  a  cry  of  alarm. 
Merwell  screamed  loud  and  long  and  an  echo 
came  back  that  was  weird  and  ghostlike.  Then 
came  a  mighty  splash,  and  both  boys  went  into 
the  water  over  their  heads. 

Dave  was  a  good  swimmer,  and  as  soon  as  he 
entered  the  water  he  struck  out  to  save  himself. 
He  came  up  in  almost  utter  darkness,  so  he  had 
to  go  it  blindly,  not  knowing  in  what  direction  to 
turn.  Then  he  heard  a  wild  spluttering  and  knew 
the  sounds  came  from  his  enemy. 

"Merwell  I" 

"Oh,  Porter!  Sa-save  me,  please  1"  gasped 
Link  Merwell. 

"Why  don't  you  swim? — that  is  what  I  am 
doing." 

"  I — I — struck  my  head  on  a  rock  I    Oh,  save 

837 


238      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

me  I  "    And  then  came  a  gasp,  and  the  scamp  dis- 
appeared under  the  surface. 

Dave  was  close  by  and  knew  the  direction  by 
the  noise.  Taking  a  few  strokes,  he  bumped  into 
Merwell,  who  promptly  tried  to  catch  his  would- 
be  rescuer  by  the  throat.  But  our  hero  was  on 
guard  and  turned  him  around. 

"  Keep  quiet,  or  I'll  let  go  I  "  he  ordered,  as  he 
began  to  tread  water.  As  Merwell  obeyed,  Dave 
struck  out  to  where  he  saw  a  faint  streak  of  light. 
He  made  out  a  shelving  rock,  and  after  some  dif- 
ficulty, reached  this.  Here  the  water  was  only  up 
to  his  waist,  and  he  waded  along,  half  carrying 
his  enemy,  until  they  reached  another  series  of 
rocks,  where  both  crawled  up  to  a  spot  that  was 
dry.  From  somewhere  overhead  came  a  faint 
streak  of  light,  testifying  to  the  fact  that  there  was 
an  opening  beyond,  even  if  it  could  not  be 
seen. 

"  Oh,  my  head !  "  murmured  Link  Merwell, 
and  put  up  one  hand  to  a  lump  that  was  rising  on 
his  forehead. 

"  I  got  struck  myself,"  said  Dave.  "  But  it 
didn't  amount  to  much.  I  told  you  to  stop.  If 
you  had  done  so,  we  wouldn't  have  gotten  into  this 
pickle." 

"  Whe- where  are  we?"  asked  Merwell,  and 
there  was  a  shiver  in  his  tone. 

"  Down  at  the  bottom  of  that  hole."     Dave 


LINK  MERWELL'S  STORY  239 

tried  to  pierce  the  darkness.  "  Looks  like  some 
underground  river  to  me." 

"  The  water  is  salt." 

"  Then  this  place  must  connect  with  the  ocean." 
Dave  drew  a  deep  breath.  "  Merwell,  tell  me 
truthfully,  what  did  you  do  with  those  jewels?" 
he  questioned,  eagerly.  Even  in  that  time  of  peril 
he  could  not  forget  the  mission  that  had  brought 
him  to  Cave  Island. 

"Who — ^who  said  I  had  the  jewels?"  faltered 
the  other. 

"  I  know  you  and  Jasniff  took  them — It  is  use- 
less for  you  to  deny  it." 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  " 

"  Never  mind  now.  Answer  my  question. 
Have  you  the  jewels,  or  did  you  give  them  to 
Jasniff?" 

"  I  didn't  give  Nick  anything." 

"  Then  you  have  them." 

"  How  do  you  know?  " 

*'  I  am  not  here  to  answer  questions,  Link  Mer- 
well. I  want  to  know  what  you  did  with  the 
jewels."  Dave's  voice  grew  stern.  "  Answer  me 
at  once !  "     And  he  caught  Merwell  by  the  arm. 

"Don't — don't  shove  me  into  the  water  I" 
cried  the  scamp,  in  alarm,  although  Dave  had  no 
intention  of  doing  as  he  imagined.  "  I — I — we — 
er — we  divided  the  jewels  between  us.  But  Nick 
got  the  best  of  them." 


240      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  And  what  did  you  do  with  your  share?  " 

"  I'll — er — I'll  tell  you  when  we  get  out  of  this 
hole." 

"  You'll  tell  me  right  now,  Merwell  1 "  And 
again  Dave  caught  the  culprit  by  the  arm. 

*'  I — I  put  my  share  of  the  jewels  in  my  money- 
belt,"  he  faltered. 

"  Have  you  it  on  now?" 

"  Yes.  But  Nick  has  the  best  of  the  jewels — I 
got  only  the  little  ones,"  went  on  Link  Merwell, 
half-angrily.  It  was  easy  to  surmise  that  he  and 
Jasniff  had  not  gotten  along  well  together. 

"  How  is  it  Jasniff  got  the  best  of  them  ?  " 

"  He  had  the  jewel-case  when  we  were  about 
to  leave  the  bark  during  the  storm.  Everybody 
was  excited,  and  he  said  we  couldn't  carry  the  case 
— that  it  wouldn't  be  safe,  for  we  might  drop  it 
and  all  of  the  jewels  would  be  lost.  He  said  we 
had  better  divide  them  and  put  them  in  our  belts. 
We  had  bought  belts  for  that  purpose  in  Jackson- 
ville. So  we  took  the  jewels  out  of  the  case  and 
threw  the  box  away.  I  thought  I  had  my  share, 
but  after  we  got  to  this  island,  and  I  had  a  chance 
to  look,  I  saw  he  had  the  lion's  share,  about  three- 
quarters,  in  fact,  and  all  the  big  ones." 

"  And  he  has  them  now?  " 

"  Yes, — that  is,  he  did  have  them  just  before 
we  saw  you." 

"  Did  you  sell  or  pawn  any  of  the  jewels?  '* 


LINK  MERWELL'S  STORY  241 

"  Only  a  few  small  ones.  We  were  afraid  to 
offer  the  big  ones,  so  soon  after  the — well,  you 
know,"  and  Link  Merwell  stopped  short,  looking 
everything  but  happy. 

"  You  mean  so  soon  after  the  robbery,"  said 
Dave,  bluntly. 

"  Yes." 

"  Link,  whatever — but  never  mind  that  now," 
continued  our  hero,  hastily.  "  Hand  over  the 
money-belt." 

"What,  now?" 

"  Yes,  at  once.  I'll  not  trust  you  to  carry  those 
jewels  a  minute  longer." 

"  Can't  you  wait  till  we  get  out  of  this  wretched 
hole?" 

"  I  might,  but  I  am  not  going  to.  Hand  it  over 
and  be  careful  that  none  of  the  jewels  are 
lost.  Your  father  may  have  to  pay  for  the 
others." 

With  fingers  that  trembled  from  fear  and  chilli- 
ness. Link  Merwell  slipped  his  hands  under  the 
light  clothing  he  wore  and  took  off  the  money- 
belt  that  encircled  his  waist. 

"  There  is  some  money  there  that  belongs  to 
me,"  he  began,  hesitatingly. 

"  You'll  get  back  what  is  yours,  never  fear," 
answered  Dave,  and  took  the  belt.  He  saw  to  it 
that  it  was  tightly  closed,  then  fastened  it  around 
his  own  waist. 


242      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Remember,  Nick  has  the  best  of  the  jewels,'* 
went  on  Merwell,  rather  spitefully. 

"  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  it,"  answered  Dave, 
grimly.  "  Now,  the  sooner  we  get  out  of  this 
hole  the  better." 

Merwell  was  just  as  anxious  to  see  daylight, 
even  if  he  was  to  be  held  a  prisoner,  and  together 
the  boys  hunted  around  for  some  exit  from  the 
underground  watercourse.  But  the  only  way  out 
seemed  to  be  far  overhead,  and  to  climb  up  the 
smooth,  sloping  rocks  proved  impossible. 

"Oh,  what  shall  we  do?"  groaned  Merwell, 
after  they  had  attempted  to  climb  up  and 
had  failed.  "We  are  caught  like  rats  in  a 
trap  I  " 

"  Perhaps  we'll  have  to  swim  for  it,"  answered 
Dave.  "  This  water  is  very  salt,  which  proves 
it  comes  from  the  ocean.  Moreover,  it  is  grad- 
ually going  down,  showing  it  is  affected  by  the 
tide.  Let  us  follow  the  stream  for  a  short  dis- 
tance and  see  where  it  leads  to." 

Merwell  demurred,  but  he  did  not  want  to  re- 
main behind  alone  in  the  semi-darkness,  so  he 
followed  Dave,  and  both  waded  and  swam  a 
distance  of  several  hundred  feet.  Here  the  under- 
ground river  made  a  turn  around  the  rocks,  and 
both  boys  were  delighted  to  see  a  streak  of  sun- 
light resting  on  the  water. 

"An  opening  of  some  sortl"  cried  our  hero. 


LINK  MERWELL'S  STORY  243 

**  Come  on !  "  And  he  swam  on  boldly  and  Mer- 
well  followed  as  quickly  as  he  could. 

Soon  the  pair  reached  a  break  in  the  cave.  On 
either  side  were  walls  of  rocks,  uneven  and  cov- 
ered with  scanty  bushes  and  immense  trailing  vines. 
The  opening  was  about  a  hundred  feet  in  length, 
and  beyond  it  the  stream  of  salty  water  plunged 
into  another  cavern,  undoubtedly  on  its  way  to 
the  ocean. 

*'  Well,  we  are  out  of  the  cave  in  one  way  but 
not  in  another,"  observed  Dave,  as  he  stood  on 
the  dry  rocks  and  gazed  about.  "  It's  going  to 
be  a  stiff  climb  to  get  out  of  here." 

"  Ca-can't  you  wait  till  I — I  get  my  breath," 
panted  Merwell. 

"  Yes,  for  I  want  to  get  my  own  breath  back. 
Perhaps  we'll  have  to  go  through  that  next  cave 
to  get  out,"  he  continued,  after  a  pause. 

"  Oh,  I  hope  not !  I  hate  it  underground !  " 
And  Merwell  shivered.  "  Besides,  it's  cold,"  he 
went  on,  to  cover  up  the  tremor  in  his 
voice, 

"  Yes,  it  is  cold,"  returned  Dave,  shortly. 

He  sat  down  to  rest,  and  Merwell  followed  suit. 
On  all  sides  were  the  rocky  walls  and  trailing 
vines,  while  at  their  feet  ran  the  silent,  mysterious 
stream  of  salty  water. 

Dave  looked  at  the  walls  and  the  stream,  and 
then  looked  at  Merwell.    The  face  of  the  other 


244      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

youth  was  a  study.  He  was  downcast  to  the  last 
degree. 

"Link,  what  made  you  do  it?"  he  asked,  in 
a  voice  that  was  not  unkindly. 

"  I  didn't  do  it — that  is,  it  wasn't  my  plan  1  '* 
burst  out  the  culprit,  passionately.  "  Oh,  I  know 
they'll  hold  me  for  it,  just  the  same  as  they'll 
hold  Nick,  if  they  catch  him  I  But  I'll  tell  you 
honestly,  Dave,  it  wasn't  any  of  my  planning. 
I'm  bad,  and  I  know  it,  but  I  am  not  as  bad  as 
that.  It  was  Nick  who  got  the  whole  thing  up. 
You  know  how  mad  he  has  been  at  you  ever  since 
he  had  to  leave  Oak  Hall.  Well,  it  was  his  plan 
to  make  you  a  prisoner  first  and  then  make  it  look 
as  if  you  had  robbed  the  jewelry  works.  You  ask 
Doctor  Montgomery  if  that  isn't  so.  W^ell,  the 
first  part  of  the  plan  fell  through,  for  you  got 
away.  Then  he  got  me  to  go  to  Crumville,  and 
found  out  where  we  could  get  the  dynamite.  I 
got  scared  then  and  wanted  to  back  out,  but  he 
said  if  I  did  he'd  throw  all  the  blame  on  me,  and 
so  I  stuck  to  him.  I  wish  I  hadn't  done  it,"  con- 
cluded Merwell,  bitterly. 

"  Did  you  go  direct  to  Jacksonville  after  the 
robbery?  " 

"  No,  we  went  to  Washington  first  and  there 
we  pawned  one  diamond  for  sixty  dollars.  Then 
we  went  to  Jacksonville.  There  we  met  Luke 
Watson,  and  both  of  us  got  scared  to  death.    We 


LINK  MERWELL'S  STORY  245 

had  paid  for  our  passage  on  the  Emma  Brower, 
and  we  kept  out  of  sight  till  the  bark  sailed. 
After  the  storm  we  landed  here  with  those  four 
sailors,  and  were  waiting  to  sight  some  passing 
ship  when  you  and  your  crowd  turned  up." 

"What  were  you  going  to  do  at  Barbados?" 

"  Keep  quiet  until  this  affair  blew  over  and  then 
take  some  English  vessel  for  England.  There, 
Jasniff  said,  he  could  get  a  certain  pawnbroker  to 
take  the  jewels  and  give  us  a  good  price  for  them. 
You'll  remember,  he  was  in  England  some  time." 

"  Yes,  I  met  him  there.  But,  Link,  didn't  you 
realize  what  a  crime  you  were  committing?  "  went 
on  Dave,  earnestly. 

"  I  did — after  it  was  too  late.  Many  a  time 
I  wanted  to  back  out,  but  Nick  wouldn't  let  me. 
We  had  a  quarrel  in  Washington,  and  another  in 
Jacksonville,  and  on  the  ship  I  came  close  to  exv 
posing  him  to  the  captain.  I  think  I  should  have 
done  it,  only  the  hurricane  came  up,  and  then  we 
had  to  hustle  to  save  our  lives." 

A  silence  followed,  for  each*  of  the  boys  was 
busy  with  his  thoughts.  Dave  felt  sorry  for  his 
former  schoolmate,  but  he  knew  Merwell  thor- 
oughly, and  knew  that  the  fellow  was  more  sorry 
because  he  was  caught  than  because  he  had  com- 
mitted a  great  wrong.  He  belonged  to  the  class 
of  persons  who  are  willing  to  repent  when  it  is 
too  late. 


246      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

The  day  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  already  the 
sunlight  had  disappeared  beyond  the  high  rocks. 
With  a  deep  sigh  Dave  arose  to  his  feet  and 
stretched  himself,  and  Merwell  followed  suit. 

"  W^hat  are  you  going  to  do?  "  asked  the  former 
bully  of  Oak  Hall. 

"  I  am  going  to  try  to  climb  up  those  rocks." 

"  They  are  terribly  steep !  " 

"  I  know  it,  but  those  vines  look  strong  and  we 
can  use  them  as  ropes.  Link.  But  you  need  not 
try  it,  if  you  don't  want  to." 

"  Oh,  if  you  try,  so  will  I,  Dave." 

After  that  but  little  was  said,  both  lads  saving 
their  breath  for  the  task  before  them.  Dave  went 
up  first,  testing  each  vine  with  care  as  he  ad- 
vanced. Twice  he  slipped  back,  and  once  Mer- 
well came  to  his  aid  and  held  him.  It  was  a  little 
thing  to  do,  but  it  pleased  our  hero,  and  his  face 
showed  it. 

At  last  they  were  out  of  the  hollow  and  each 
threw  himself  on  the  ground  to  rest.  Then  Dave 
walked  to  a  near-by  hill  and  gazed  in  every  direc- 
tion.    Not  a  human  being  was  in  sight  anywhere. 

"  Well,  we've  got  to  find  them  somehow,"  he 
said  to  Merwell.  "  Come  ahead."  And  side  by 
side  they  set  off  through  the  forest  in  the  fast- 
gathering  darkness. 


Dave  went  up  first,  testing  each  vine  with  care. — Page  246. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  COLUMN  OF  SMOKE 

"  Well,  we  are  lost,  that  is  all  there  is  to  it. 
And  I  am  so  dead  tired  I  can't  walk  another  step." 
And  thus  speaking,  Link  Merwell  sank  down  on 
a  tree-root  to  rest. 

He  and  Dave  had  been  plunging  along  through 
the  forest  and  across  several  clearings  for  the 
larger  part  of  an  hour.  They  had  found  what 
looked  to  be  a  trail,  but  it  had  suddenly  come  to 
an  end  in  front  of  a  small  cave  that  looked  to  be 
the  lair  of  some  wild  animal,  and  they  had  gone 
on  once  more.  Now  the  darkness  of  the  tropics 
shut  out  the  surrounding  landscape. 

Link  Merwell  certainly  looked  the  picture  of 
misery.  His  clothing  was  much  tattered  and  still 
wet,  and  his  forehead  was  swollen  from  contact 
with  the  rocks.  One  of  his  shoes  was  so  cut  that 
his  bare  foot  was  exposed. 

"  It  looks  as  if  we  were  lost,"  replied  Dave. 
"  In  this  darkness  it  will  be  difficult  to  go  much 
further.  But  I  had  hoped,  by  keeping  in  a 
straight  line,  that,  sooner  or  later,  we'd  reach  the 
shore  of  the  island.'* 

847 


248      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  I  reckon  we  didn't  walk  in  a  straight  line — 
most  folks  that  get  lost  in  a  woods   don't." 

"  You  are  right  in  that,  but  I  kept  as  straight  as 
I  could,  Link.  However,  that  is  neither  here  nor 
there.  If  we  have  got  to  stay  here  all  night  we 
may  as  well  try  to  make  ourselves  comfortable. 
But  I  wish  the  others  knew  I  was  safe." 

"  Can't  you  fire  your  gun  ?  It  ought  to  be  dry 
by  now." 

"  I'll  try  it." 

Dave  sat  down  and  commenced  to  work  over 
the  fowling-piece.  In  a  few  minutes  he  tried  it. 
Bang !  went  the  gun,  the  shot  echoing  far  and  wide 
through  the  forest  and  among  the  rocks.  Then 
both  boys  listened  for  a  reply. 

"  Nothing  doing,"  muttered  Merwell,  after  a 
minute  of  utter  silence. 

"  I  am  sure  the  others  would  fire  a  shot  in  re- 
turn if  they  heard  that,"  said  Dave.  "  We  must 
be  further  from  them  than  I  expected.  Well,  I 
don't  see  what  we  can  do  excepting  to  try  to  make 
ourselves  comfortable.  We  might  climb  one  of 
these  tall  palms  and  take  a  look  around." 

"  Yes,  that's  it !  "  exclaimed  the  other  youth, 
eagerly.  "Why  didn't  we  think  of  that  before? 
But  it  will  be  hard  work  climbing  one  of  those 
trees,"  went  on  Merwell,  gazing  up  at  the  straight 
trunk  with  the  first  of  the  limbs  many  feet  above 
their  heads. 


THE  COLUMN  OF  SMOKE  249 

"  I'll  do  it  native  fashion,"  answered  Dave. 

He  had  seen  the  natives  of  the  South  Sea  Islands 
climb  tall  trees  by  means  of  a  vine-rope  cast  about 
the  waist  and  the  tree-trunk.  Selecting  several 
strong  vines,  he  twisted  them  into  a  rope,  and  then 
passed  the  same  around  a  tree-trunk  and  to  the 
back  of  his  waist.  Then  he  took  off  his  shoes  and 
stockings  and  placed  his  bare  feet  against  the  tree. 
By  "  hiking  "  the  rope  a  few  inches  at  a  time,  he 
was  able  to  "  walk  up  the  tree  "  with  comparative 
ease. 

As  soon  as  the  branches  were  reached,  Dave 
discarded  the  rope  and  went  up  as  far  as  the 
strength  of  the  tree  would  permit.  He  was  now 
close  enough  to  the  top  to  get  a  good  look  around, 
and  he  cast  his  eyes  about  eagerly,  hoping  to  catch 
sight  of  some  of  his  friends,  or  their  campfire. 

"See  anything?"  called  up  Merwell,  eagerly. 

"  Not  yet,"  answered  Dave,  and  then  he  turned 
around  in  the  tree-top.  He  now  made  out  the  roll- 
ing sea. 

"  I  see  a  light !  "  he  cried. 

"  A  campfire?  "  queried  the  youth  below. 

"  No,  it  is  on  the  water.  I  think  it  must  be  a 
light  on  a  ship." 

"What  kind  of  a  ship?" 

"  A  sailing  vessel  of  some  sort,"  answered  Dave, 
and  he  wondered  if  it  could  be  the  Golden  Eagle, 
coming  back  after  the  storm. 


250      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Maybe  it's  the  ship  that  was  coming  back  for 
those  Englishmen,"  went  on  Merwell,  for  Dave 
had  told  him  about  the  men.  He  heaved  a  moun- 
tainous sigh  as  he  realized  how  affairs  had  turned 
against  him.  For  a  moment  he  thought  of  run- 
ning away  and  trying  to  find  Jasniff,  but  then  the 
darkness  and  loneliness  of  the  forest  appalled  him. 
He  felt  that  he  would  rather  be  a  prisoner  than 
be  alone  in  such  a  spot. 

Dave  watched  the  waving  light  for  some  time, 
as  it  rose  and  fell  on  the  bosom  of  the  ocean, 
but  could  learn  nothing  concerning  the  craft  that 
showed  it.  Then  he  continued  to  look  around  the 
island.  No  campfire  was  to  be  located,  and  finally 
he  rejoined  Merwell. 

"  The  light  on  that  ship  was  all  I  saw,"  he  said. 
"  Perhaps  it  might  pay  to  walk  down  to  the  shore 
in  that  direction.  But  it  is  a  long  distance,  and 
in  the  darkness  we  might  fall  into  another  of  the 
caves." 

"  Let  us  stay  here,"  answered  Merwell. 

"  It  will  probably  be  as  well.  We  can  build 
a  campfire  and  dry  our  clothing  and  then  go  to 
bed." 

*'  Wish  I  had  something  to  eat,"  grumbled  the 
lad  who  had  been  caught. 

"  So  do  I,  Link.  But  we  haven't  anything,  so 
we'll  have  to  make  the  best  of  it.  Try  to  find 
some   firewood.     Luckily   I   have   a  waterproof 


THE  COLUMN  OF  SMOKE  251 

matchsafe  along  and  it  is  full  of  matches,"  added 
our  hero. 

Fate  was  kinder  to  them  than  they  had  ex- 
pected, for  in  hunting  for  firewood,  Merwell  found 
a  hole  containing  what  they  took  to  be  native 
hares.  He  killed  two  of  the  creatures,  and  at 
once  set  to  work  to  clean  and  skin  them.  Then, 
when  Dave  had  started  the  fire,  the  game 
was  broiled  while  the  boys  had  their  clothing 
drying. 

"  Not  much  of  a  meal,  but  better  than  nothing,'* 
said*  Merwell,  and  our  hero  agreed  with  him. 
They  found  some  water  in  a  hollow  of  the  rocks, 
left  there  by  the  hurricane,  and  had  a  drink,  after 
which  both  lay  down  to  rest. 

"  Don't  you  think  we  ought  to  stand  guard?" 
asked  the  big  youth. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  replied  Dave.  "  I  am 
dead  tired  and  so  are  you,  and  I  don't  think  any- 
body will  come  to  harm  us, — and  there  are  no 
large  wild  beasts  on  the  island.  I  guess  we  can 
take  a  chance,"  and  as  soon  as  their  clothing  was 
dry,  both  turned  in,  on  beds  of  vines  and  moss. 

In  the  morning  Merwell  was  the  first  to  stir, 
and  when  Dave  awoke  he  found  the  campfire 
burning  merrily.  The  big  youth  was  nowhere 
to  be  seen. 

"  Can  he  have  run  away?  "  mused  our  hero,  and 
quickly  feh  to  learn  if  the  money-belt  with  the 


252      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

jewels  was  safe.  It  was  still  in  its  place  and  he 
breathed  a  sigh  of  relief.     Then  he  gave  a  call. 

"  Coming  I  "  came  from  a  distance,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  Merwell  put  in  an  appearance,  bring- 
ing with  him  some  berries  and  fruits. 

"  One  of  those  sailors  who  came  ashore  with 
me  told  me  about  these,"  he  said.  "  The  berries 
we  can  eat  raw  and  they  are  very  good.  The  fruit 
we  can  slice  up  and  toast.  They  make  a  pretty 
decent  meal,"  and  so  it  proved,  and  both  youths 
ate  their  fill.  Then  Dave  announced  his  intention 
of  climbing  the  tree  again  and  having  another  Jook 
around. 

"  That  ship  is  at  the  south  end  of  the  island," 
he  announced.  "  It  is  not  the  Golden  Eagle,  but  a 
much  smaller  craft.  Most  likely  it  is  the  vessel 
the  Englishmen  engaged.  If  it  is,  those  three 
rascals  will  have  a  chance  to  get  away  before  Giles 
Borden  can  catch  them  and  make  them  give  up 
the  money  they  took  from  him." 

"  Oh,   Dave,    do  you  think "     And  then 

Merwell  stopped  short. 

"What  were  you  going  to  say,  Link?" 

"  I  was  thinking  if  it  would  be  possible  for 
Nick  to  go  away  with  those  Englishmen." 

"  Why,  yes,  if  he  chanced  to  meet  them,  and 
they  were  willing  to  have  him.  But  would  he  go 
and  leave  you  behind?  " 

"  He  might,  especially  if  he  found  out  I  was 


THE  COLUMN  OF  SMOKE  253 

captured,  or  that  I  had  let  you  have  what  jewels 
I  was  carrying." 

"  If  he  went  with  those  Englishmen  he  would 
be  foolish  to  let  them  know  about  the  jewels,  for 
they  would  rob  him,  just  as  they  robbed  Giles 
Borden,"  continued  our  hero,  and  then  he  realized 
that  here  was  a  new  peril  to  face.  If  the  English- 
men got  their  hands  on  the  jewels  it  might  be 
next  to  impossible  to  recover  the  gems,  especially 
if  the  rascals  managed  to  get  away  from  Cave 
Island. 

Presently  our  hero  saw  a  column  of  smoke  aris- 
ing in  another  portion  of  the  island.  He  watched 
it  for  several  minutes  and  then  gave  a  cry  of 
satisfaction. 

"  I  know  where  they  are  I  " 

"You  mean  your  crowd?"  queried  Merwell. 

"  Yes.  Phil  is  signaling  to  me,  by  means  of 
a  column  of  smoke  such  as  some  Indians  out  west 
use.  We  learned  the  trick  when  we  were  at  Star 
Ranch.  Come  on,  we'll  soon  be  with  them.  It 
isn't  very  far." 

Dave  had  come  down  from  his  high  perch  in  a 
hurry,  and  in  a  very  short  time  was  ready  to 
leave  the  spot.  Merwell  gave  a  deep  sigh,  for 
he  did  not  relish  confronting  his  former  school- 
mates. 

"  It's  tough  luck,  but  I  suppose  I've  got  to  stand 
it,"   he  murmured,   as  he   followed  Dave,   after 


254      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

the  fire  had  been  extinguished.  "  W^hen  a  fellow 
makes  a  fool  of  himself  he's  got  to  take  the  con- 
sequences." And  this  remark  was  so  true  that 
Dave  did  not  dispute  It. 

On  they  went  through  the  forest  and  then  over 
a  rocky  hill.  Three  times  they  came  close  to  fall- 
ing into  the  treacherous  holes  in  which  the  island 
abounded,  and  the  last  time  poor  Merwell  got 
a  fall  that  almost  sprained  his  ankle. 

"  We'll  rest  a  bit  and  you  can  bathe  the  ankle," 
said  Dave,  kindly,  and  got  some  water  from  a 
nearby  pool. 

"  I  don't  wonder  nobody  is  living  on  this 
island,"  grumbled  the  injured  one.  "  I  suppose 
the  natives  around  here  are  too  afraid  of  falling 
into  some  of  those  holes." 

"  They  are  afraid  of  the  caves  and  also  afraid 
of  volcanoes,"  answered  Dave.  "  The  mate  of 
the  Golden  Eagle  told  me  that.  Sometimes  the 
volcanoes  break  out  here  without  warning  and 
cover  the  rocks  with  hot  ashes." 

"  Is  that  so?  Well,  I  hope  no  volcano  breaks 
out  while  I  am  here." 

At  last  the  boys  reached  a  small  rise  of  ground 
and  at  a  distance  saw  the  column  of  smoke,  plainly. 
Dave  put  on  extra  speed  and  soon  saw  Phil,  Giles 
Borden,  and  several  sailors — the  survivors  from 
the  ill-fated  Emma  Brower. 


THE  COLUMN  OF  SMOKE  255 

"Phill" 

"  Dave  I  At  last  1  "  cried  the  shipowner's  son, 
joyfully.    "  Are  you  hurt?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.    How  are  you?" 

"  All  right,  although  I  had  several  tumbles 
while  hunting  for  you.  You  disappeared  in  the 
strangest  fashion." 

"  I  fell  into  a  cave, — went  down  with  Link 
Merwell." 

"  Oh !  "  Phil  gave  a  start.  "  Who  is  that  in 
the  bushes?     Merwell,  as  sure  as  I'm  alive!  " 

"Yes,  Phil.  And  what  do  you  think?  Pve 
got  part  of  the  jewels — Link  had  them  in  his 
money-belt." 

"  Good  enough  I  I  was  so  afraid  they  had  been 
lost  out  of  that  jewel-case.  Did  you  make  Mer- 
well a  prisoner?" 

"  Well,  in  a  way.  He  might  have  run  away  a 
dozen  times,  but  I  guess  he  didn't  want  to  be  alone. 
Besides,  he  has  quarreled  with  Jasniff.  I'll  tell 
you  all  about  it  later,"  went  on  Dave,  in  a  lower 
tone. 

Merwell  had  halted  and  now  he  came  shuffling 
into  the  temporary  camp.  He  nodded  sheepishly 
to  the  shipowner's  son  and  to  the  sailors. 

"  Got  ye,  did  they?  "  said  one  of  the  tars,  with 
a  sneer. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  culprit,  meekly. 


256     DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Humph  I  You're  a  fine  Dick  to  run  away  and 
steal  jewels!"  muttered  the  sailor,  and  turned 
his  back  on  the  youth. 

*'  W^here  are  Roger  and  Captain  Sanders  and  the 
others  ?  "  questioned  Dave. 

"  Gone  after  you,  and  after  Jasniff  and  those 
three  rascally  Englishmen,"  answered  Phil.  "  I 
said  I'd  stay  here  and  try  that  trick  with  a  column 
of  smoke.  I  thought  you  might  remember  and 
look  for  it." 

"  It  was  a  good  thing  to  do,  Phil,"  answered  our 
hero,  "  for  it  brought  us  straight  to  this  spot." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

BEHIND   THE    CURTAIN   OF  VINES 

An  hour  went  by  and  during  that  time  Dave 
drew  Phil  to  one  side  and  related  the  particulars 
concerning  the  doings  of  Merwell  and  Jasniff,  ac- 
cording to  the  story  told  by  the  former  of  the  two 
evil-disposcd  youths. 

"  I  think  Link  feels  pretty  sore,"  he  continued. 
"  So  there  won't  be  any  use  in  rubbing  it  in." 

**  What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  him,  Dave?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet.  We'll  talk  it  over  later  on. 
The  thing  to  do  now  is  to  locate  Jasniff  and  get 
the  rest  of  the  jewels.  Don't  forget  that  he  has 
the  finest  of  the  diamonds.  That  is  one  thing  that 
made  Link  sore — Jasniff  taking  the  lion's  share." 

*'  Well,  that  was  the  way  Jasniff  always  did, 
even  at  school.  Now  you've  got  back  I'm  willing 
to  start  the  search  for  him  any  time  you  say,"  con- 
tinued the  shipowner's  son. 

"  We'll  wait  a  while  and  see  if  Roger  and  Cap- 
tain Sanders  return,"  answered  our  hero. 

He  was  glad  to  rest,  and  threw  himself  on  a 
bed  of  moss  the  sailors  had  collected.  Merwell 
sat  against  a  tree,  tired  out,  but  too  much  worried 

857 


258      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

to  sleep.  Evidently  he  was  trying  to  decide  on 
what  to  do  next  and  wondering  how  he  was  to  get 
out  of  the  awful  situation  in  which  he  found  him- 
self. 

Presently  a  shout  was  heard,  and  Roger  burst 
into  view,  followed  an  instant  later  by  Billy  Dill. 

"  Hello,  Dave  I  "  cried  the  senator's  son.  "  Got 
back,  have  you  ?  "  And  then  he  stared  at  Mer- 
well.    "  Oh,  are  you  here,  too?  " 

"  Yes,"  returned  the  big  youth,  and  that  was  all 
he  could  say. 

"  Dave,  did  you  get  the  jewels  Men /ell  had?  " 
went  on  Roger. 

"  Yes.     But,  Roger,  how  did  you  know " 

"  There  is  no  time  to  talk  it  over  now,  Dave," 
interrupted  the  senator's  son,  quickly.  "  We  have 
got  to  act,  and  that  at  once!  That  is,  if  you 
want  to  get  back  the  rest  of  the  jewels." 

"Why,  what  do  you  mean?"  demanded  Dave 
and  Phil  in  a  breath,  and  even  Merwell  was  all 
attention. 

"  Do  you  remember  those  Englishmen,  the  fel- 
lows who  robbed  Mr.  Borden?  Well,  we  traced 
them  to  their  camp,  and  what  do  you  think?  They 
met  Jasniff  in  some  way,  and  he  is  friendly  with 
them." 

"  Did  he  tell  them  about  the  jewels?  "  demanded 
our  hero. 

"  No,  he  was  cute  enough  to  keep  the  story  of 


BEHIND  THE  CURTAIN  OF  VINES     259 

the  jewels  to  himself, — that  is,  we  didn't  hear  him 
tell  them  anything  about  the  gems.  But  he  said 
he  wanted  to  get  away  from  the  island  as  quickly 
as  possible,  and  without  being  seen  by  any  of  us, 
and  he  offered  the  Englishmen  a  thousand  dollars 
in  diamonds  if  they'd  help  him.  They  agreed  to 
it,  and  all  hands  are  waiting  for  some  ship  to  come 
here  and  take  them  off." 

"  The  ship  I  saw  last  night  I  "  cried  Dave,  and 
told  of  the  light  on  the  ocean. 

"  It  must  be  that  ship !  "  exclaimed  Phil. 

"  They'll  get  away  sure,  unless  you  can  stop 
'em,"  put  in  Merwell,  and  he  seemed  to  be  al- 
most as  interested  as  anybody.  It  galled  him  ex- 
ceedingly to  think  that  his  companion  in  crime 
might  escape. 

"Roger,  how  did  you  learn  this?"  asked 
Dave. 

"  In  a  queer  kind  of  a  way.  Billy  Dill  got  on 
the  trail  of  the  three  Englishmen  first  and  we  fol- 
lowed them  to  one  of  the  caves.  Then  one  of 
the  Englishmen  went  away  and  after  a  while  he 
came  back  with  Jasniff,  and  all  hands  went  to  an- 
other cave,  close  to  the  shore.  We  got  into  one 
part  of  the  cave  and  overheard  what  the  crowd 
said,  through  a  crack  in  the  rocks.  We  might  have 
confronted  Jasniff  and  demanded  the  jewels,  but 
we  saw  that  the  Englishmen  were  all  armed  and 
they  looked  to  be  in  an  ugly  mood,  and  Captain 


26o     DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Sanders  wanted  no  bloodshed  if  it  could  be  avoided. 
So  then  Billy  Dill  and  I  said  we  would  come  back 
here  and  get  Phil  and  the  sailors." 

"  I  should  think  you'd  do  your  best  to  capture 
Jasniff,"  said  Merwell. 

"Do  you  want  him  captured?"  asked  Roger, 
sharply. 

"Why  not?  He  didn't  treat  me  fairly — and 
he  planned  the  robbery  in  the  first  place." 

"  Well,  if  you  want  him  taken  you  had  better 
help  us,"  put  in  Phil. 

"  Say,  Dave,  if  I  help  you  catch  Jasniff  and  get 
the  rest  of  the  jewels  back,  will  you — er — will  you 
let  me  go  ?  "  faltered  Link  Merwell,  anxiously. 

"  I  don't  know — I'll  see  about  it.  Link,"  an- 
swered Dave,  and  that  was  as  far  as  he  would 
commit  himself,  for  he  remembered  that  this  case 
was  for  Mr.  Wadsworth  and  the  authorities  to 
settle. 

"  I'll  help  you  all  I  can — ^just  to  get  square  with 
Nick  I  "  muttered  the  big  youth.  "  I'll  show  him 
that  he  isn't  the  only  frog  in  the  puddle." 

"The  sooner  we  go  the  better,"  went  on  the 
senator's  son. 

"  I  am  ready  now,"  returned  Dave.  "  I'll  not 
rest  easy  until  Jasniff  is  caught  and  the  rest  of 
those  jewels  are  recovered." 

A  few  words  more  were  exchanged,  and  then  it 
was  decided  that  the  whole  party  should  follow 


BEHIND  THE  CURTAIN  OF  VINES     261 

Roger  and  Billy  Dill  to  the  spot  from  whence  they 
had  come. 

*'  Borden  is  very  anxious  to  have  the  three  Eng- 
lishmen held,"  said  the  senator's  son. 

"  I  suppose  he  wants  to  get  back  his  money," 
returned  Dave.    "  I  don't  blame  him." 

The  path  was  through  the  forest  and  then  along 
a  rocky  ridge.  Here  walking  was  very  uncertain, 
and  Roger  warned  the  others  to  be  careful. 

"  An'  if  ye  ain't  careful  ye'll  go  into  a  hole  to 
Kingdom  Come !  "  put  in  Billy  Dill. 

When  the  ridge  was  left  behind  they  came  to 
another  patch  of  timber,  and  then  walked  through 
a  small  cave  with  a  large  opening  at  either  end. 
In  the  center  of  this  cave  was  a  hole,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  flowed  an  underground  river. 

"  If  ever  an  island  was  rightly  named,  this  is  the 
one,"  observed  Phil.  "It  is  caves  from  one  end 
to  the  other." 

"Listen I  I  thought  I  heard  voices  1  "  ex- 
claimed Dave,  suddenly,  and  held  up  his  hand  for 
silence. 

All  listened  closely  and  heard  a  faint  murmur, 
coming  from  a  distance. 

"  Sounds  to  me  as  if  it  was  underground,"  whis- 
pered Phil. 

"  Yes,  but  from  what  direction?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  I  think  it  comes  from  over  yonder,"  answered 
Dave.    "  Let  us  go  there  and  make  sure." 


262      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

They  walked  on,  soon  coming  to  a  spot  where 
a  place  between  the  rocks  was  covered  with  a  mat- 
ting of  long  vines,  much  intertwined. 

"Keep  quiet  1"  suddenly  exclaimed  our  hero. 
"  I  know  where  they  are — behind  those  vines. 
There  must  be  a  cave  there,  and  the  vines  make 
a  curtain  for  the  entrance." 

"  Who  is  it?  "  asked  Merwell. 

"  I  don't  know  yet.  Wait,  all  of  you  remain 
here,  behind  the  rocks,  while  I  investigate." 

As  silently  as  possible,  Dave  crawled  forward, 
keeping  close  to  the  rocks  on  one  side  of  the  cave's 
entrance.  Soon  he  was  up  to  the  curtain  of  vines, 
and  cautiously  he  thrust  his  hand  forward,  making 
a  small  opening. 

At  first  our  hero  could  see  little,  but  as  his  eyes 
became  accustomed  to  the  gloom,  he  made  out 
two  forms  lying  on  couches  of  vines,  smoking. 
The  forms  were  those  of  the  two  Englishmen, 
Pardell  and  Rumney. 

"  Well,  Geswick  ought  to  be  coming  back," 
Dave  heard  Rumney  say.  "  He  said  he  wouldn't 
waste  any  time." 

"  Maybe  he  had  some  trouble  with  that  young 
fellow,"  returned  Pardell.  "  Say,  do  you  know 
he's  a  queer  stick?  Where  did  he  get  those  dia- 
monds he  offered  for  his  passage?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  rather  think  he  stole 
them." 


BEHIND  THE  CURTAIN  OF  VINES     263 

**  Then  perhaps  he  has  more  of  the  jewels." 

"  Just  what  I  was  thinking — and  Geswick 
thought  the  same." 

"  If  he  has  many  of  them "     The  man 

paused  suggestively. 

"We  might  relieve  him,  eh?"  returned  the 
other. 

"Why  not?  We  cleaned  out  Borden.  Two 
jobs  of  that  sort  are  no  worse  than  one." 

There  was  a  period  of  silence,  and  Dave  moved 
back  as  quietly  as  possible  to  where  he  had  left 
his  companions. 

"  Rumney  and  Pardell  are  there,  in  a  long  cave," 
he  whispered.  "  They  are  waiting  for  Geswick 
and,  I  think,  Jasniff." 

"  But  where  are  Captain  Sanders  and  Smiley?  " 
asked  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  I  don't  know.  Perhaps  they  are  watching 
Jasniff  and  Geswick — or  maybe  they  have  captured 
those  rascals." 

"  Oh,  let  me  get  at  Pardell  and  Rumney  I  " 
cried  Giles  Borden.  "  I'll  teach  them  to  rob  me  I  '* 
And  he  started  forward,  flourishing  a  heavy  stick 
he  had  picked  up. 

"  Wait!  wait!  "  returned  Dave,  and  caught  him 
by  the  arm.  "  Don't  go  yet.  Let  us  lie  low  un- 
til Geswick  comes,  and  maybe  Jasniff.  We  may  be 
able  to  capture  all  of  them." 

*'  Can  we  handle  so  many?  "  asked  Roger. 


264     DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  I  think  so.  Anyway  we  can  try.  Remember, 
Captain  Sanders  and  Smiley  may  be  following 
Geswick  and  Jasniff,  and  if  they  are,  they'll  come 
to  our  aid." 

"  I'll  wait,  but  it's  a  hard  thing  to  do,  don't  you 
know,"  grumbled  the  Englishman  who  had  been 
robbed. 

"  We  had  better  set  a  guard,  so  that  we  are  not 
surprised,"  advised  Phil.  "  Supposing  we  scatter 
around  the  rocks  and  in  the  vines?" 

This  was  agreed  upon,  and  it  was  also  agreed 
that  Dave  should  give  a  whistle  when  he  wanted 
an  attack  made. 

After  this  came  a  long  period  of  waiting.  All 
remained  silent,  until,  of  a  sudden,  everybody  was 
startled  by  a  distant  cannon  shot. 

"What  in  the  world  can  that  mean?"  cried 
Phil,  who  lay  close  to  our  hero. 

"  It's  a  shot  from  a  ship's  cannon,  and  it  came 
from  the  direction  of  the  shore!  "  returned  Dave. 
"  It  may  be  some  sort  of  a  signal." 

*'  Do  you  suppose  it's  a  summons  to  Pardell  and 
Rumney?  " 

"  It  may  be.  Wait,  I'll  look  into  the  cave  again 
and  see  what  they  are  doing." 

Losing  no  time,  our  hero  crawled  forward  once 
more  to  the  position  he  had  before  occupied.  Then 
he  pushed  the  vines  aside  and  looked  into  the  long 
cave. 


BEHIND  THE  CURTAIN  OF  VINES     265 

He  could  not  suppress  a  cry  of  consternation. 
The  two  Englishmen  had  vanished ! 

"  They  are  gone !  "  he  called  to  his  companions. 

"  Gone  1  "  repeated  Phil  and  Roger. 

"  Don't  tell  me  that !  "  fairly  shrieked  Giles 
Borden.  *'  I  must  catch  them  and  get  back  my. 
money !  " 

"  Where  did  they  go  to?"  asked  Billy  Dill,  as 
he  pushed  through  the  curtain  of  vines. 

"  They  must  have  left  the  cave  by  some  other 
opening,"  answered  Dave.  *'  Come  on,  we'll  soon 
find  out !  "  And  into  the  cave  he  rushed,  his  chums 
and  the  others  in  the  crowd  following. 

"  I  see  another  opening  I  "  cried  Merwell,  a 
minute  later.  "Look!"  And  he  pointed  down  a 
passageway  to  the  right. 

"  That's  the  way  they  must  have  gone  I  "  ex- 
claimed Giles  Borden.  "  After  them,  all  of  you ! 
If  I  get  back  my  money,  I'll  reward  you  well  1  " 
And  on  he  sped,  with  Merwell  close  at  his  heels 
and  the  others  following. 

"  I  don't  know  if  we  are  on  the  right  track  or 
not,"  said  Dave,  to  Phil  and  Roger.  "  This  cave 
may  have  other  openings." 

Hardly  had  he  spoken  when  there  came  a  yell 
from  Giles  Borden,  followed  by  a  cry  from  Link 
Merwell.  Both  had  fallen  into  a  small  hole  that 
was  filled  with  water.  Each  was  much  shaken  up, 
but  unhurt. 


266      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  It's  a  broken  neck  somebody  will  get  if  we  are 
not  careful,"  said  one  of  the  sailors.  "  I'd  rather 
be  on  the  deck  of  a  ship  any  day  than  on  an  island 
like  this." 

Soon  they  were  out  in  the  open  once  more. 
They  were  on  a  rise  of  ground,  and  not  a  great  dis- 
tance away  they  could  see  the  shore  and  the  rolling 
ocean. 

"  A  ship !  "  cried  Roger. 

"  But  not  the  Golden  Eagle!  "  returned  Dave. 
"  It  must  be  the  vessel  that  was  to  stop  for  the 
Englishmen." 

"  It  is !  It  is !  "  bawled  Giles  Borden.  "  And 
look,  there  they  are  on  the  shore,  ready  to  embark, 
all  of  them  I  " 

"  Yes,  and  Jasniff  is  with  them!  "  added  Dave, 
Phil,  and  Roger  in  a  breath. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

IN  WHICH   THE   ENEMY  SAILS  AWAY 

It  was  a  startling  discovery,  and  for  the  mo- 
ment Dave  and  the  others  did  not  know  what  to 
do. 

"  Do  you  see  anything  of  Captain  Sanders,  or 
Smiley?  "  questioned  our  hero. 

"  Not  a  thing,"  returned  the  senator's  son. 
"  It's  strange,  too." 

"  Oh,  cannot  we  stop  them  in  some  manner?  " 
pleaded  Giles  Borden. 

"  Come  on — we'll  do  what  we  can  I  "  cried 
Phil. 

"  That's  the  talk  I  "  put  in  old  Billy  Dill.  "  Oh, 
for  a  gatling  gun  that  we  might  train  on  'em  I  " 
he  added. 

All  were  calculating  the  distance  to  the  shore. 
Between  them  and  the  water  was  a  slight  hollow, 
overgrown  with  brushwood  and  vines.  How  long 
would  it  take  to  find  a  path  through  that  hollow? 

"  No  use  in  staying  here,"  was  Dave's  comment. 
"  We'll  get  there  somehow.  But  keep  out  of 
sight,  if  you  can.  We  don't  want  them  to  dis- 
cover us  until  the  last  minute." 

267 


268      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

All  moved  forward  toward  the  hollow.  By 
walking  well  over  to  the  left  they  managed  to 
keep  a  distant  row  of  palms  between  themselves 
and  those  who  were  at  the  water's  edge. 

But  progress  was  slow,  as  all  soon  discovered. 
The  hollow  was  a  treacherous  one,  full  of  soft 
spots  and  pitfalls.  Less  than  a  hundred  feet  had 
been  covered  when  two  of  the  sailors  went  down 
up  to  their  waists,  and  a  second  later  Roger  fol- 
lowed. 

"  Hold  on,  Roger  I  I'll  help  you  I  "  cried  Dave, 
and  he  and  Phil  ran  to  their  chum's  assistance. 
They  did  not  dare  to  go  near  the  soft  spot  and  so 
all  they  could  do  was  to  throw  the  senator's  son 
a  stout  vine  for  use  as  a  rope,  and  then  haul  him 
out  by  sheer  strength.  In  the  meantime  the  others 
went  to  the  rescue  of  the  two  sailors,  and  they 
were  hauled  out  in  similar  fashion. 

"  This  island  certainly  is  the  limit  1  "  gasped 
Roger,  when  he  was  on  firm  ground  once  more. 
"  I  wouldn't  live  here  if  they  made  me  a  present 
of  the  whole  thing !  " 

"  That's  right,"  returned  Phil.  "  Because,  if 
you  lived  here,  you  might  some  day  find  your- 
self buried  before  your  time  1  "  And  this  quaint 
way  of  expressing  it  made  all  of  the  boys  grin  in 
spite  of  their  excitement. 

Beyond  the  hollow  another  difficulty  con- 
fronted them.    Here  were  some  sharp  rocks,  with 


IN  WHICH  THE  ENEMY  SAILS  AWAY    269 

deep  cuts  between.  They  had  to  climb  over  the 
rocks  with  extreme  care  and  do  not  a  little  jump- 
ing, all  of  which  consumed  much  valuable 
time. 

"  They'll  be  off  before  we  can  reach  them  I  " 
groaned  Dave.    "  Oh,  do  hurry,  fellows !  " 

"  I'm  coming  as  fast  as  I  can  I  "  answered  Phil. 

"  So  am  I,"  added  Roger. 

"  You  ought  to  shoot  at  them,  if  they  won't 
stop,"  put  in  Merwell. 

"  I'll  do  what  I  can,"  answered  our  hero.  He 
was  wondering  how  far  the  present  situation  would 
justify  the  use  of  firearms. 

At  last  the  rocks  were  left  behind,  and  the  crowd 
found  themselves  in  the  fringe  of  palm  trees  lin- 
ing the  sandy  shore. 

"Do  you  see  them?"  queried  Phil,  who  was 
getting  winded  from  his  exertions. 

"  No,  I  don't,"  returned  Dave.  He  had  looked 
up  and  down  the  sandy  strip  in  vain  for  a  sight  of 
the  Englishmen  and  Jasniff. 

Beyond  the  beach  was  the  reef  with  the  ever- 
present  breakers  and  far  beyond  this  the  ship  they, 
had  before  sighted.  The  schooner  lay-to  with  all 
sails  lowered. 

"  There  they  are !  "  suddenly  shouted  Billy 
Dill.    "  Too  late,  boys,  too  late !  " 

"Where?  where?"  came  in  a  shout  from  the 
lads  and  from  Giles  Borden. 


270      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Look  out  there,  by  the  reef.  Don't  you  see 
the  small  boat  in  the  breakers?  "  went  on  the  old 
sailor,  pointing  with  his  bronzed  hand. 

All  gazed  in  the  direction  he  indicated,  and 
Dave  and  Giles  Borden  could  not  repress  a  groan 
of  dismay.  For,  riding  the  swells  of  the  ocean, 
could  be  seen  a  small  boat,  manned  by  two  sailors. 
In  the  boat  sat  four  passengers. 

"  That's  Jasniff ,  I  am  sure  of  it  1 "  cried  Phil. 

"  And  those  three  men  are  the  fellows  who 
robbed  me  I  "  muttered  Giles  Borden.  "  Oh,  what 
luck  I    Ten  minutes  too  late  I  " 

"  Can't  we  follow  them  in  some  way?"  asked 
Roger. 

"  I  don't  see  how,"  answered  Dave.  "  Our  row- 
boat  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  island.  Besides, 
even  if  we  had  a  boat,  I  don't  believe  we  could 
catch  them  before  the  schooner  got  underway. 
Oh,  isn't  it  a  shame !  "  And  Dave  fairly  ground 
his  teeth  in  helpless  dismay. 

"  If  we  had  a  cannon  I  "  murmured  old  Billy 
Dill.  "  A  shot  across  the  bow  o'  that  craft  would 
make  the  cap'n  take  wamin',  I'm  thinkin'  I  " 

"Do  you  suppose  any  other  boat  is  handy?" 
asked  the  Englishman. 

"  W^e  might  look,"  returned  the  senator's  son. 

All  were  about  to  run  out  on  the  beach  when 
Dave  suddenly  called  a  halt. 

"  Don't  do  it,"  he  said.     "  If  we  can't  follow 


IN  WHICH  THE  ENEMY  SAILS  AWAY    271 

them,  it  will  be  best  for  the  present  not  to  show 
ourselves." 

"How's  that?"  demanded  Giles  Borden. 
"  It's  a  bloody  shame  to  let  them  go  in  this  fash- 
ion." 

"  If  they  see  us,  they'll  know  we  are  after  them 
and  they'll  sail  away  as  fast  as  possible,"  went  on 
our  hero.  "  If  they  don't  see  us,  they  may  take 
their  time  in  getting  away,  and  that  will  give  us 
so  much  better  chance  to  catch  them." 

"  Dave  is  right!  "  cried  the  senator's  son.  And 
the  others  agreed  with  him,  and  all  kept  con- 
cealed behind  the  row  of  palms  and  the  brush- 
wood and  rocks.  From  that  point  they  watched 
the  small  boat  gradually  approach  the  schooner 
until  it  was  alongside.  Then  a  rope  ladder  was 
lowered  and  the  passengers  mounted  to  the  deck, 
after  which  the  rowboat  was  drawn  up  on  the 
davits. 

"What  ship  is  that?"  asked  Phil. 

"  She  is  named  the  Aurora,''  answered  Giles 
Borden. 

"The  Aurora!"  exclaimed  Billy  Dill.  "Do 
ye  mean  the  Aurora,  Cap'n  Jack  Hunker?" 

"  Yes,  that's  the  captain's  name." 

"  Why,  I  know  him  1  "  went  on  the  old  tar. 
"  Sailed  with  him  once,  in  the  Peter  Cass, — afore 
he  took  command  o'  the  Aurora.  Say,  Dave,  he 
used  to  be  a  putty  good  man.    I  can't  see  how  he 


272      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

would  stand  in  with  sech  fellers  as  Jasniff  an'  them 
thievin'  Britishers." 

"  Perhaps  he  doesn't  know  what  scoundrels  they 
are,"  returned  our  hero. 

"  Oh,  they  haven't  told  him  the  truth,  depend 
upon  that,"  said  Giles  Borden.  "  They  have  fixed 
up  some  story  to  pull  the  wool  over  his  eyes. 
Most  likely  they'll  tell  him  that  I  am  the  rascal 
of  the  party  and  that  is  why  I  am  to  be  left  be- 
hind." 

*'  If  the  captain  of  the  Aurora  is  all  right,  it 
may  pay  to  signal  to  him,"  mused  Dave.  "  I 
wish  I  had  known  of  this  before." 

"  See !  see !  they  are  hoisting  the  sails  1  "  cried 
Phil. 

"  If  you  are  going  to  signal  to  the  schooner, 
you  had  better  do  it  pretty  quick,"  advised 
Roger. 

"  I  think  I  will.  It  can't  hurt  much — they 
are  going  to  sail  away,  anyhow.    Come  on." 

All  ran  out  on  the  sandy  beach,  and  Dave  dis- 
charged his  shotgun  twice  as  a  signal.  The  others 
waved  tree-branches  and  brushwood,  and  Phil  even 
lit  some  of  the  latter,  to  make  a  smudge. 

But  if  the  signals  were  seen,  no  attention  was 
paid  to  them.  Those  on  the  schooner  continued 
to  hoist  the  sails,  and  presently  the  Aurora  turned 
away,  leaving  Cave  Island  behind. 

As  the  schooner  moved  off  Dave's  heart  sank, 


IN  WHICH  THE  ENEMY  SAILS  AWAY    273 

within  him.  On  board  of  the  craft  was  Jasniff, 
and  the  rascal  had  the  larger  portion  of  the  Car- 
with  jewels  in  his  possession. 

"It's  a  shame  I"  burst  out  Phil.  "Oh,  why 
didn't  we  get  hold  of  Jasniff  when  you  collared 
Link!" 

"Where  is  your  own  ship?"  asked  Merwell. 
"  Why  don't  you  find  her  and  follow  that  crowd?  " 
He  felt  as  sour  as  ever  over  the  thought  that  he 
had  been  captured  while  his  companion  in  crime 
had  escaped. 

"  I  wish  the  Golden  Eagle  would  come  in," 
answered  Dave.  "  I  can't  understand  what  is 
keeping  her,  unless  she  suffered  from  that  storm 
and  had  to  lay  to  for  repairs." 

"  And  where  do  you  suppose  Captain  Sanders 
and  Smiley  are?"  put  in  Roger. 

"  I  don't  know.  They  may  have  fallen  into 
one  of  the  caves,  or  they  may  have  been  made 
prisoners  by  those  who  have  sailed  away." 

"Prisoners?  I  never  thought  of  that  I  "  ex- 
claimed Giles  Borden.  "  Yes,  it  would  be  just 
like  Geswick  and  those  other  scoundrels  to  treat 
them  in  that  fashion." 

"  Well,  it  won't  do  us  any  good  to  remain 
here,"  went  on  our  hero.  "  We  may  as  well  scat- 
ter and  see  if  we  can't  locate  the  captain  and  the 
others." 

This   was   considered   good  advice   and   tired 


274      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

as  the  crowd  was,  all  went  on  the  hunt,  some 
up  the  shore  and  some  down,  and  the  others 
inland. 

Dave  and  Roger  walked  down  the  shore,  why 
neither  could  exactly  tell.  They  passed  the  palms 
and  brushwood,  and  leaving  the  sand,  commenced 
to  climb  over  some  rocks.  Then  Dave  began  to 
shout. 

At  first  no  reply  came  to  his  calls,  but  presently 
he  heard  a  groan,  coming  from  behind  the  rocks. 

"  Let  us  see  what  it  means  I  "  he  exclaimed  to 
the  senator's  son,  and  they  hurried  in  the  direction 
of  the  sound  with  all  speed. 

Back  of  the  rocks  was  a  grove  of  plantains, 
and  in  the  center  was  the  remains  of  a  thatched 
hut,  evidently  built  by  natives  years  before.  On 
the  ground  in  front  of  this  hut  lay  Captain  San- 
ders and  the  sailor.  Smiley.  Each  had  his  head 
bound  up  and  each  was  nursing  a  bruised  ankle. 

"Captain  Sanders!"  cried  Dave,  in  astonish- 
ment. 

"Dave  Porter!"  returned  the  commander  of 
the  Golden  Eagle,  joyfully.  "  My,  but  I  am  glad 
you  have  come !  " 

"You  are  hurt?" 

"  Yes.  Those  scoundrels  attacked  us  from  be- 
hind and  knocked  us  senseless." 

"You  mean  those  three  Englishmen?" 


IN  WHICH  THE  ENEMY  SAILS  AWAY    275 

"  Yes,  and  that  fellow  Jasniff  was  with 
them." 

"But  your  ankles  are  hurt,  too?"  went  on 
Dave. 

"  We  hurt  them  when  we  fell  into  one  of  the 
beastly  caves,  or  holes.  We  were  following  Jas- 
niff and  the  Englishmen,  and  also  looking  for 
you  and  the  others.  Then  those  rascals  got  be- 
hind us  in  some  way,  and  the  first  thing  I  knew 
I  got  a  whack  behind  the  ear  that  knocked  me  un- 
conscious." 

"  And  I  got  the  same,"  said  Smiley.  "  Oh,  I 
wish  I  had  my  hands  on  those  villains  I  " 

"  They  have  sailed  away,"  said  Roger. 

"  Away !  "  cried  the  captain.    "  How?  " 

In  a  few  brief  words  our  hero  and  his  chum 
told  of  the  advance  to  the  beach  and  of  what  they 
r.nd  the  others  had  witnessed.  Captain  Sanders 
shook  his  head,  soberly. 

"  That's  too  bad,"  he  said.  "  They've  got  a 
good  start  and  it  will  be  hard  to  follow  them." 

"  How  can  we  follow  them,  when  the  Golden 
Eagle  isn't  here?  "  said  Dave. 

"  But  she  is  here — on  the  other  side  of  the 
island." 

"  Oh,  are  you  sure?  "  cried  our  hero. 

"  Yes.  I  saw  her  coming  in, — when  we  were  on 
one  of  the  hills.    She  was  minus  her  foretopmast, 


276      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

which  shows  she  must  have  suffered  some  In  that 
hurricane." 

"  If  that's  the  case,  let  us  get  to  her  with  all 
possible  speed,  go  aboard,  and  follow  the  Aurora," 
returned  Dave. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

A  CHASE  ON  THE   OCEAN 

It  took  the  best  part  of  the  afternoon  and 
evening  to  get  the  whole  party  together  again, 
and  send  word  to  the  mate  of  the  Golden  Eagle 
to  bring  the  vessel  around  to  that  side  of  Cave 
Island.  And  while  this  was  being  done  the  hurts 
Captain  Sanders  and  Smiley  had  received  were 
cared  for  as  well  as  the  means  at  hand  permitted. 

The  captain  and  the  wounded  sailor  had  a 
long  story  to  tell,  of  how  they  had  followed  the 
three  rascally  Englishmen  and  Nick  Jasniff,  and 
how  the  latter  had  made  a  compact  with  the  others, 
so  that  they  would  take  him  with  them  when  they 
left  the  island. 

"  The  Englishmen  were  a  bit  afraid  of  the 
captain  of  the  Aurora,"  said  Captain  Sanders, 
"  and  we  overheard  them  discuss  the  situation. 
They  knew  the  captain  would  want  to  know  what 
had  become  of  the  fourth  man  he  had  left  here. 
At  last  they  resolved  to  try  a  trick,  but  they  weren't 
sure  it  would  work.  But  evidently  it  did,  for  the 
schooner  has  sailed." 

"  What  was  that  trick?  "  asked  Dave. 

877 


278      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  It  seems  that  when  Mr.  Borden  was  on  the 
Aurora  he  had  a  headache  from  the  sun  and  wore 
smoked  glasses.    Is  that  right,  sir?  " 

*'  It  is,"  answered  Giles  Borden.  "  The  glare 
on  the  waves  was  beastly,  and  I  wore  the  smoked 
glasses  all  day  long." 

"  Well,  the  rascals  planned  to  have  Jasniff  im- 
personate Mr.  Borden.  One  of  them,  Geswick, 
exchanged  coats  and  caps  with  him,  and  lent  him 
a  pair  of  smoked  glasses,  and  he  was  to  tie  up 
his  cheeks  and  pretend  to  be  suffering  from  tooth- 
ache, and  keep  to  his  stateroom  as  much  as  pos- 
sible during  the  trip." 

"  Oh,  what  a  thing  to  do — impersonate  me  I  " 
roared  Giles  Borden,  in  a  rage.  "  Just  wait  till 
I  confront  him  I  " 

"  Yes,  you'll  have  to  wait,"  put  in  Phil,  dryly. 

"  Did  you  find  out  where  they  were  going  to 
sail  to?"  asked  Dave,  eagerly. 

*'  To  San  Juan,  on  the  island  of  Porto  Rico. 
But  they  may  make  some  stops  on  the  way." 

"  San  Juan,"  mused  Roger.  "  That's  a  good 
many  miles  from  here.  Perhaps  the  Golden 
Eagle  can  catch  the  Aurora  before  she  gets  there." 

"  If  they  went  to  San  Juan  direct  I'd  advise 
waiting  till  they  got  in  that  harbor  before  I'd  do 
anything,"  said  Captain  Sanders. 

"V^hy?"  asked  the  boys. 

"  Because  it  is  one  thing  to  stop  them  on  the 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  OCEAN  279 

high  seas  and  another  to  stop  them  In  United 
States  waters.  Remember,  Porto  Rico  is  now  a 
part  of  Uncle  Sam's  domain." 

"  Yes,  I'd  rather  go  at  them  there  than  on  the 
high  seas,"  answered  Dave.  "  But  they  mustn't 
get  away  again,  no  matter  where  we  have  to  tackle 
them,"  he  added,  determinedly. 

It  was  impossible  to  transfer  those  ashore  to  the 
Golden  Eagle  during  the  darkness,  because  of  the 
danger  in  the  breakers,  so  they  had  to  wait  until 
daylight  before  departing. 

Among  those  to  go  were,  of  course,  the  sailors 
who  had  come  ashore  from  the  wreck  of  the 
Emma  Brower.  Captain  Sanders  told  them  they 
could  remain  on  the  island  if  they  wished,  but  they 
set  up  an  immediate  protest. 

"  It's  not  a  fit  place  for  any  man,"  said  one 
of  the  tars.  "  There  is  very  little  game  and  not 
much  fruit,  and  one  Is  continually  in  danger  of 
falling  Into  a  hole  or  a  cave.  I'll  go  to  Porto 
Rico  gladly,  and  so  will  my  mates,  and  we'll  work 
our  passage,  if  you're  willing." 

"  All  right,"  said  Captain  Sanders.  "  But  you'll 
not  have  much  to  do,  as  we  have  about  all  the 
hands  we  need." 

When  aboard  the  ship,  the  captain  and  the 
boys  listened  to  the  story  the  mate  had  to  tell. 
Then  they  learned  that  the  storm  had  blown  the 
Golden  Eagle  many  miles  from  Cave  Island,  and 


28o      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

in  trying  to  avoid  some  of  the  keys  of  another 
island,  the  vessel  had  lost  the  top  of  one  of  the 
masts  and  the  rudder  had  been  damaged.  This 
had  necessitated  much  delay,  which  accounted  for 
the  non-appearance  of  the  vessel  when  expected. 

While  making  repairs,  the  vessel  had  been 
passed  by  a  tramp  steamer  bound  for  Trinidad. 
The  captain  of  the  steamer  had  asked  if  he  could 
be  of  assistance,  and  after  being  told  no,  had  given 
the  information  that  he  had  picked  up  three  row- 
boat  loads  of  passengers  and  crew  from  the  ill- 
fated  Emma  Brower.  It  may  be  mentioned  here 
that  another  boat  load  from  the  same  vessel  man- 
aged to  reach  another  island  in  that  vicinity,  and 
in  the  end  it  was  learned  that  the  going  down  of 
the  bark  was  unattended  with  the  loss  of  a  single 
life. 

With  so  many  on  board,  the  accommodations  on 
the  Golden  Eagle  were  somewhat  crowded.  The 
sailors  went  with  Billy  Dill  into  the  forecastle, 
while  Giles  Borden  was  asked  to  share  Captain 
Sanders'  stateroom.  What  to  do  with  Link  Mer- 
well  became  a  question.  In  one  sense  he  was  a 
prisoner,  yet  Dave  hated  to  treat  him  as  such. 

"  There  is  the  extra  pantry,"  said  Captain  San- 
ders. "  We  can  clean  that  out  and  put  in  a  cot, 
and  he  can  use  that,"  and  so  it  was  arranged, 
much  to  the  relief  of  all  of  the  boys.  The  pan- 
try had  a  grating,  opening  on  the  main  passage- 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  OCEAN  281 

way,  so  it  made  a  fairly  comfortable  stateroom, 
although  rather  hot. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  I've  got  to  take  my  medicine, 
when  we  get  back,"  grumbled  Link  Merwell,  when 
given  his  quarters. 

"  What  else  could  you  expect?  "  returned  Dave. 
"  If  this  was  my  affair  alone.  Link,  I  might  let 
you  go,  now  you  have  given  up  the  jewels.  But 
what  is  to  be  done  is  for  Mr.  Wadsworth  and  the 
authorities  to  say." 

Merwell  had  confessed  that  he  and  Jasniff  had 
taken  the  skates  and  other  things  at  Squirrel  Island, 
and  told  where  they  had  been  left,  in  a  barn  along 
the  river,  and  how  they  might  be  recovered.  He 
had  also  admitted  impersonating  Dave  on  several 
occasions  and  ordering  goods  in  our  hero's  name, 
and  doing  other  mean  things  of  which  he  had 
been  suspected,  and  said  he  was  heartily  sorry  for 
his  actions. 

Soon  the  Golden  Eagle  was  ready  for  the  de- 
parture from  Cave  Island.  As  the  sails  were 
hoisted  the  boys  gathered  on  deck  to  take  a  last 
look  at  the  remarkable  spot. 

"  It  is  really  and  truly  Cave  Island,"  declared 
Dave.  "  I  don't  believe  any  other  place  in  the 
world  is  so  full  of  caves  and  holes !  " 

"  I  am  glad  the  volcanoes  didn't  get  busy  while 
we  were  there,"  remarked  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  So  am  I,"  added  Roger.     "  The  caves  and 


282      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

holes  were  bad  enough,  without  adding  other 
perils." 

"  Dave,  do  you  think  we'll  catch  that 
schooner?"  went  on  Phil,  after  a  pause,  during 
which  the  boys  watched  the  ship  drawing  away 
from  the  island. 

"  I  sincerely  hope  so,"  was  the  serious  reply. 
"  If  we  don't,  and  Jasniff  gets  away,  this  mission 
down  here  will  have  proved  almost  a  failure." 

"  Then  you  think  Jasniff  has  the  most  of  the 
jewels?" 

"  Yes.  If  you'll  remember,  the  jewels  that  were 
taken  were  valued  at  about  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars.  Well,  I  have  looked  at  the  jewels  I  got 
from  Link,  and  so  has  Mr.  Borden,  who  knows 
something  about  gems,  and  we  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  those  Link  turned  over  to  me  are 
not  worth  over  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  That 
means  that  Jasniff  has  about  sixty  thousand 
dollars'  worth." 

"  Isn't  that  like  Jasniff  1  "  cried  the  senator's 
son.  *'  Always  wanted  the  big  end  of  everything! 
It's  a  wonder  he  and  Link  didn't  quarrel  before." 

'*  They  did  quarrel,  and  Link  wanted  to  leave 
him  several  times,  but  didn't  dare,  for  Jasniff 
threatened  to  expose  him.  In  one  way,  I  am 
sorry  for  Link, — but,  of  course,  he  had  no  right  to 
commit  such  a  deed." 

After  Cave  Island  was  left  in  the  distance.  Cap- 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  OCEAN  283 

tain  Sanders  had  a  long  conference  with  Giles  Bor- 
den concerning  the  Englishmen  who  had  robbed 
him.  Later  a  general  talk  took  place  between  the 
pair  and  the  boys. 

"  I  am  afraid  we'll  have  to  trust  to  luck  to  catch 
the  Aurora  or  locate  her,"  said  the  captain,  finally. 
"  She  may  go  to  San  Juan  and  she  may  go  else- 
where." 

"  If  we  pass  any  other  vessels,  can't  we  ask  if 
they  saw  the  schooner?  "  ventured  Dave. 

"  Certainly." 

The  day  went  by  and  also  the  next.  Link 
Merwell  kept  to  himself,  only  speaking  when  ad- 
dressed. He  felt  his  position  keenly,  and  would 
no  doubt  have  given  a  great  deal  if  he  could  have 
cleared  himself.  He  was  learning  that  the  way 
of  the  transgressor  is  hard. 

On  the  third  day,  early  in  the  morning,  they 
passed  a  big  barkentine  bound  for  South  Ameri- 
can ports.  Greetings  were  exchanged,  and  Cap- 
tain Sanders  asked  concerning  the  Aurora. 

"  Yes,  we  met  her,"  was  the  reply.  "  Yester- 
day, about  two  bells  in  the  afternoon  watch." 

*'  Did  she  say  where  she  was  bound?  " 

*'  Bound  for  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico." 

"Direct?" 

"  Yes.  She  was  going  to  stop  elsewhere,  but 
the  captain  allowed  he'd  make  straight  for  San 
Juan,"    added    the    captain    of    the    barkentine, 


284      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

through  the  megaphone  he  was  using.  Then,  after 
a  few  words  more,  the  two  vessels  separated. 

"  It's  San  Juan  sure !  "  cried  Dave.  "  From 
what  Mr.  Borden  and  Billy  Dill  say  of  Captain 
Hunker  he  would  not  tell  a  falsehood.  I  guess 
the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  sail  for  that 
port." 

**  I  think  so  myself,"  returned  Captain  Sanders. 

The  chase  was  now  a  definite  one,  and  Dave 
felt  much  relieved.  He  wondered  if  they  would  be 
able  to  overtake  the  Aurora  before  Porto  Rico 
was  reached. 

"  We  can  do  that  with  ease,"  answered  Captain 
Sanders  when  questioned.  "  But  even  so,  she  may 
not  stick  to  just  the  course  we  take,  and  we  may 
pass  her  in  the  night.  So  don't  worry  if  we  don't 
see  or  hear  anything  before  San  Juan  is  reached." 

"  I'll  try  not  to  worry,"  answered  our  hero. 
Yet  he  could  not  help  it,  for  so  much  depended  on 
the  successful  outcome  of  his  mission.  He  knew 
that  those  at  home  must  be  in  deep  distress,  and 
he  could  picture  the  anxiety  of  Mr.  Wadsworth 
and  his  wife  and  Jessie,  and  also  the  anxiety  of 
his  own  folks. 

"  Oh,  we've  got  to  catch  Jasniff  and  get  back 
those  jewels  I  "  he  told  himself.  "  We've  simply 
got  to  do  it  1  I  won't  give  up,  if  I  have  to  follow 
him  around  the  world !  " 

It  had  been  warm,  but  now  the  weather  changed 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  OCEAN  285 

and  a  strong  breeze  made  living  far  more  com- 
fortable. The  breeze  was  favorable  to  sailing,  and 
the  Golden  Eagle  plowed  the  deep  at  a  good  rate 
of  speed.  Many  of  the  islands  of  the  Lesser  An- 
tilles were  passed,  and  some  truly  dangerous  reefs, 
and  then  the  course  was  straight  for  the  harbor  of 
San  Juan,  on  the  northeastern  coast  of  Porto 
Rico. 

They  had  seen  nothing  so  far  of  the  Aurora, 
but  on  the  afternoon  of  the  last  day  out  they  were 
passed  by  a  freight  steamer  from  the  south  and 
received  word  that  the  schooner  was  not  far  away 
and  making  for  San  Juan. 

"  I  guess  we  had  better  go  right  in  and  get  the 
authorities  to  take  hold,"  said  Captain  Sanders. 
"  This  is  no  matter  for  us  to  handle,  now  we  are 
in  United  States  waters  once  more." 

Dave  agreed;  and  as  soon  as  possible  they  en- 
tered the  harbor  and  went  ashore.  It  was  an  easy 
matter  to  notify  the  harbor  police,  and  inside  of 
two  hours  half  a  dozen  officers  of  the  law  were 
detailed  to  make  the  necessary  arrests.  Dave  and 
Giles  Borden  and  Captain  Sanders  went  with 
them,  leaving  Phil,  Roger,  and  the  others  aboard 
the  Golden  Eagle. 

The  patrol  boat  of  the  harbor  police  had  to 
remain  on  the  watch  all  night  and  half  the  next 
morning  before  the  Aurora  was  sighted. 

"  There  she  is !  "  cried  Dave,  at  last,  and  Giles 


286      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Borden  echoed  the  words.  Then  the  patrol  boat 
lost  no  time  in  steaming  alongside  of  the  schooner. 

"Hello,  what's  wanted?"  demanded  Captain 
Hunker,  as  he  saw  the  officers  of  the  law. 

"  We'll  come  aboard,  captain,"  said  the  officer 
In  charge. 

"V^hat's  the  matter?" 

"  We  are  after  four  of  your  passengers.'* 

At  that  moment  somebody  appeared  near  the 
rail,  to  learn  what  the  shouting  meant.  It  was 
Nick  Jasniff.  He  gazed  at  the  officers  of  the  law 
and  then  at  Dave.  As  he  recognized  our  hero  his 
face  fell  and  he  looked  totally  dum  founded. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

HOMEWARD   BOUND — CONCLUSION 

"  Jasniff,  I  want  to  see  you !  "  shouted  Dave. 

"What  do  you  want  of  me,  Dave  Porter?" 
returned  the  big  youth,  as  boldly  as  he  could. 

"  You  know  well  enough." 

"Humph!  You  think  you've  got  me,  don't 
you?  "  sneered  Nick  Jasniff,  and  then  he  left  the 
rail  of  the  vessel  and  disappeared  down  a  com- 
panionway. 

By  this  time  the  officers  of  the  law  were  board- 
ing the  Aurora,  accompanied  by  Giles  Borden  and 
Captain  Sanders. 

"  Where  are  those  bloody  rascals  who  robbed 
me?"  exclaimed  the  Englishman,  excitedly. 
"  Just  let  me  get  my  hands  on  them  1  " 

"  I  don't  understand  this  I  "  returned  the  cap- 
tain of  the  schooner,  in  surprise.  "  You'll  have  to 
explain." 

"  You  have  three  Englishmen  aboard  here — 
fellows  you  took  to  Cave  Island  when  I  was  with 
them." 

"  Say,  you're  that  fourth  man !  "  gasped  Captain 
Hunker.    "  But  that  other  chap, — the  fellow  with 

287 


288      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 


smoked  glasses,  who  had  his  face  tied  up " 

He  did  not  know  how  to  go  on. 

"He  impersonated  me,  the  villain  1  But  I  am 
after  the  others,  for  they  robbed  me  of  over  a 
thousand  pounds,  don't  you  know  1  " 

"Where  are  your  passengers?"  demanded  the 
officer  in  charge  of  those  from  the  patrol  boat, 
sternly. 

"  If  they  are  not  on  deck  they  must  be  below, — 
they  had  no  chance  to  leave  the  ship,"  answered 
Captain  Hunker.  "  This  gets  me  1  "  he  went  on, 
weakly.  "  I  thought  they  acted  rather  strange, 
but  I  supposed  they  were  nothing  but  a  crowd  of 
weak-minded  critters  hunting  for  pirates'  gold." 

At  that  moment  Geswick,  Pardell,  and  Rumney 
came  on  deck,  having  heard  the  tramping  of  feet 
overhead  and  wondering  what  it  meant.  Almost 
before  he  could  speak,  Giles  Borden  had  Geswick 
by  the  throat  and  was  shaking  him  violently. 

"  W^ill  rob  me,  and  leave  me  a  prisoner  in  that 
cave !  "  he  roared.  "  I'll  teach  you  a  lesson !  Give 
me  my  money,  you  bloody  scoundrel !  "  And  then 
he  banged  Andrew  Geswick's  head  against  a 
mast. 

"  Ho,  let  up !  "  yelled  the  criminal.  "  Let  up, 
I  say !  "  And  he  tried  to  squirm  away.  But  it 
was  useless,  and  in  a  minute  more  one  of  the  offi- 
cers of  the  law  handcuffed  him,  and  Pardell  and 
Rumney  were  also  secured. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION     289 

"  Now  I  want  my  money !  "  stormed  Giles  Bor- 
den.    "  Every  shilling  of  it!  " 

"  I  haven't  any  of  it,"  replied  Rumney.  "  Ges- 
wick  and  Pardell  have  it  all."  Rumney  had  had  a 
quarrel  with  his  fellows,  just  as  Merwell  had  quar- 
reled with  Jasniff. 

"  Just  you  wait,  Rumney;  we'll  fix  you  for  going 
back  on  us,"  growled  Andrew  Geswick.  But  this 
threat  did  him  little  good.  In  the  end  he  and 
Pardell  had  to  hand  over  every  penny  taken  from 
Giles  Borden,  and  then  they  were  marched  off  to 
jail,  to  await  a  hearing  before  the  authorities. 

In  the  meantime  Dave  had  run  across  the  deck 
and  followed  Jasniff  down  the  companionway. 
He  was  afraid  that  the  evil-minded  youth  might 
hide  the  stolen  jewels  or  throw  them  overboard. 

When  he  got  below  he  looked  around,  but  could 
see  nothing  of  the  other  boy.  He  ran  along  a 
passageway,  peering  into  one  stateroom  after  an- 
other, and  also  into  the  cabin  and  the  pantry. 
Then  he  heard  something  like  a  cover  drop  near 
by  and  hurried  in  that  direction. 

Jasniff  was  in  a  corner  stateroom  on  his  hands 
and  knees.  Beside  him  was  a  flat  steamer  trunk, 
which  was  closed.  It  was  the  lid  of  this  trunk 
that  Dave  had  heard  drop. 

"Jasniff,  come  out  of  that!"  ordered  Dave, 
sternly.  "  Come  right  out  and  hand  over  those 
jewels." 


290      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Say,  Dave  Porter,  you  think  you  are  smart, 
don't  you  ?  "  sneered  the  big  youth,  as  he  got  up 
on  his  feet. 

"  Never  mind  what  I  think.  I  want  those 
jewels,  every  one  of  them,  and  I  am  going  to 
have  them." 

"  I  haven't  any  jewels." 

"  I  know  better." 

"  All  right  then,  you  can  search  me  if  you  want 
to — and  search  my  baggage,  too,"  went  on  Jasniff, 
and  held  out  his  arms  as  if  willing  to  have  the  in- 
vestigation begin  on  the  spot. 

"  If  you  haven't  the  jewels  on  your  person,  you 
have  hidden  them,"  Went  on  Dave.  "  Bring  them 
out,  right  away." 

"  Not  much,  Porter,  I  am  not  that  kind  of  a 
fool."  Jasniff  lowered  his  voice  to  a  whisper. 
"  To  outsiders  I  won't  acknowledge  I  have  the 
jewels,  but  if  you'll  fix  it  so  I  go  clear,  I'll  see  to  it 
that  old  Wadsworth  gets  the  gems  back." 

"  I'll  fix  nothing,  Jasniff,  and  you'll  hand  over 
every  jewel,  and  do  it  right  now !  "  cried  Dave,  and 
now  he  was  so  angry  that  he  leaped  on  the  criminal 
and  threw  him  backward  over  the  trunk. 

But  if  Dave  was  strong,  so  was  Jasniff,  and,  as 
of  old,  the  rascal  thought  nothing  of  playing  a 
foul  trick.  Around  and  around  the  stateroom 
went  both  boys,  with  first  Dave  on  top  and  then 
his  opponent.     Then  suddenly  Jasniff  pulled  him- 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION     291 

self  away  and  caught  up  a  water  pitcher  that  was 
on  a  stand. 

"  I'll  fix  you !  "  he  roared,  in  the  same  tone  of 
voice  he  had  employed  when  he  had  once  attacked 
Dave  in  the  Oak  Hall  gymnasium,  and  he  brought 
the  heavy  pitcher  down  straight  for  Dave's  head. 

Had  the  blow  landed  as  intended,  our  hero 
would  have  been  knocked  senseless  and  perhaps 
seriously  hurt.  But  quick  as  the  bully  was,  Dave 
was  quicker,  and  leaped  to  one  side.  Then  he 
let  out  with  his  fist,  landing  on  Jasniff's  jaw, — 
a  blow  that  sent  the  fellow  crashing  over  into  a 
corner.  As  Jasniff  came  up,  Dave  hit  him  again, 
and  this  time  he  went  down  all  but  knocked  out. 

"  Dave !  "  called  a  voice  from  the  doorway  at 
that  moment,  and  Captain  Sanders  appeared. 
"  Having  a  tussle,  eh?    Want  any  help?  " 

"  May  be,"  panted  our  hero.  "  He  attacked 
me  with  the  water-pitcher  I  "  And  he  pointed  to 
the  fragments  of  chinaware  that  lay  on  the  floor. 

*'  Do-don't  h-hit  me  again  I  "  spluttered  Nick 
Jasniff. 

"  Will  you  hand  over  the  jewels  and  behave 
yourself?  " 

"  I — I  haven't  got  the  jewels,"  and  now  Jas- 
niff arose  unsteadily  to  his  feet. 

"  Perhaps  he's  hidden  them,"  suggested  the 
captain  of  the  Golden  Eagle.  "  It  would  be  like 
him  to  do  it." 


292      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  I'll  search  him  first  and  then  look  around  the 
room.    Where  are  those  officers?" 

"  They  have  their  hands  full  just  now  with 
those  Englishmen.  But  I'll  call  them  if  you  wish 
it." 

"  No,  just  see  that  he  doesn't  get  away,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

A  rapid  search  of  Jasniff's  clothing  told  our 
hero  that  the  rascal  did  not  have  the  gems  on  his 
person.  Then  Dave  looked  into  the  steamer 
trunk. 

"Are  they  there?"  inquired  Captain  Sanders. 

"  No." 

"  You'll  never  get  them  from  me,"  growled 
Jasniff,  and  gave  Dave  a  look  that  was  full  of  the 
keenest  hatred.  "I'll  go  to  prison  for  life  before 
I'll  give  them  up,  now !  " 

"  Watch  him  carefully,"  said  Dave  to  the  cap- 
tain, and  got  down  on  his  hands  and  knees  in 
front  of  the  berth  in  the  room. 

"  Nothing  under  there  1  "  cried  Jasniff,  but  his 
voice  had  a  trace  of  anxiety  in  it. 

Dave  felt  around,  but  found  nothing  unusual. 
Then  he  lit  a  match  and  continued  his  search. 
Soon  he  saw  where  a  board  of  the  side  wall  had 
been  pried  loose  and  then  shoved  back  into  place. 
He  pulled  on  the  board  and  it  came  out,  revealing 
a  small  compartment  between  two  upright  posts. 
In  the  compartment  was  something  wrapped  in  a 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION     293 

bandanna  handkerchief.  He  pulled  it  out  and 
crawled  from  under  the  berth. 

"  I  think  I've  found  it,"  he  said,  in  a  voice  he 
tried  in  vain  to  steady.  Then  he  untied  the  hand- 
kerchief and  brought  to  light  a  money  belt,  ex- 
actly like  that  taken  from  Link  Merwell.  He 
placed  it  on  the  steamer  trunk  and  opened  it  with 
care.  The  sight  that  met  his  gaze  was  a  dazzling 
one.  The  money-belt  contained  all  that  Jasniff 
had  carried  of  the  Carwith  jewels. 

"  My,  but  that's  a  sight!  "  murmured  Captain 
Sanders. 

"  Going  to  return  them,  I  suppose,"  sneered 
Nick  Jasniff.  "You're  a  big  fool  to  do  itl  I'd 
keep  them,  and  have  a  good  time  on  the  proceeds." 

"  I  am  not  built  that  way,"  answered  Dave, 
shortly.  *'  I'll  put  this  around  my  waist,  with  the 
other,"  he  added,  and  lost  no  time  in  adjusting 
the  second  money-belt.  It  wasn't  particularly  com- 
fortable to  wear  those  two  belts,  yet  Dave  felt 
a  tremendous  satisfaction  in  so  doing. 

Jasniff  was  made  to  march  on  deck,  and  there 
he  was  handcuffed  like  the  other  prisoners.  He 
no  longer  pretended  to  have  a  toothache,  but  he 
did  have  a  jaw-ache,  from  Dave's  blow. 

The  most  surprised  man  was  Captain  Hunker, 
and  he  readily  told  his  story  of  how  the  English- 
men had  hired  him  to  take  them  to  Cave  Island 
and  then  call  for  them  later.    When  Jasniff  had 


294      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

appeared,  with  the  smoked  glasses  and  the  band- 
age on  his  face,  he  had  pitied  the  fellow  but  had 
not  paid  much  attention  to  him.  When  Dave  had 
fired  his  gun  from  the  shore,  Geswick  had  ex- 
plained that  other  fortune  hunters  were  on  the 
island  but  that  they  wanted  nothing  to  do  with  the 
crowd,  so  the  master  of  the  Aurora  had  gone  off 
without  investigating. 

Inside  of  an  hour  all  of  the  interested  parties 
had  gone  ashore,  and  the  three  rascally  English- 
men and  Nick  Jasniff  were  marched  off  by  the 
officers  of  the  law.  Roger  and  Phil  appeared  and 
wanted  to  know  the  particulars  of  the  capture. 

"  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  next,  Dave  ?  " 
asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  Get  back  to  Crumville  with  the  jewels,  just 
as  soon  as  I  can  get  away.  But  I've  got  to  arrange 
it  with  the  police  first." 

"  Aren't  you  going  to  send  word  ahead?  "  asked 
Phil. 

"  Of  course.    I'll  send  a  cablegram  to-day." 

"  Won't  they  be  surprised  and  glad  to  get  it  1  " 
murmured  Roger. 

"  And  maybe  I'm  not  glad  to  be  able  to  take 
the  jewels  back  with  me  1  "  answered  Dave,  his 
eyes  glistening. 

An  officer  had  been  sent  to  take  charge  of  Link 
Merwell,  who  had  been  left  on  board  the  Golden 
Eagle.    An  hour  later  came  word  that  Merwell 


HOMEWARD  BOUND—CONCLUSIUN     295 

could  not  be  found.  He  had  left  the  vessel  in 
some  mysterious  manner,  dressing  himself  in  one 
of  Dave's  best  suits  before  going.  A  little  later 
Dave  learned  that  Merwell  had  left  San  Juan  for 
the  interior  of  Porto  Rico.  The  officers  of  the 
law  said  they  would  look  for  him. 

The  cablegram  to  Mr.  Wadsworth  was  sent,  and 
soon  a  reply  came  back.  Then  came  nearly  a  week 
of  waiting  for  a  steamer  that  would  take  the  boys 
to  New  York.  In  the  meantime  matters  were  ar- 
ranged with  the  authorities  so  that  they  could  get 
away,  and  take  the  jewels  with  them.  A  detect- 
ive accompanied  them,  to  make  certain  that  the 
jewels  would  be  properly  delivered,  for  the  whole 
case  was  now  in  the  hands  of  the  law.  Giles  Bor- 
den remained  in  San  Juan,  to  press  his  charge 
against  his  fellow  countrymen.  Captain  Sanders 
remained  in  the  harbor,  to  await  orders  from  Phil's 
father. 

"  Sorry  to  part  with  you  boys,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, as  he  shook  hands.  "  Hope  you'll  sail  with 
me  again  some  day." 

"  An'  sail  with  me,  too,"  put  In  old  Billy  Dill, 
who  was  present,  and  as  much  interested  as  any- 
body. 

"  But  not  on  such  a  mission  as  this  has  been," 
returned  Dave. 

"  Nor  to  such  a  place  as  Cave  Island,"  added 
Roger. 


296      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  For  caves  and  pitfalls  that  island  certainly 
was  the  limit,"  was  Phil's  comment. 

The  voyage  to  New  York  proved  to  be  un- 
eventful, and  all  of  the  lads  were  glad  when  it  was 
over.  Arriving  in  the  metropolis,  they  lost  no 
time  in  getting  a  train  for  Crumville,  the  detective 
going  with  them,  and  Dave  carrying  the  precious 
jewels. 

And  then  what  a  home-coming  followed!  All 
the  Wadsworths  and  the  Porters  were  at  the  depot 
to  meet  them,  and  everybody  was  brimming  over 
with  good  feeling.  Mrs.  Wadsworth  fairly 
hugged  Dave,  and  Laura  kissed  him  over  and 
over  again,  and  even  Jessie  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  to  rush  into  his  arms. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  to  think  you  really  got  the  jewels !  " 
said  Jessie.  "  Oh,  I'm  so  glad !  What  a  hero 
you  are  I  "  And  she  gave  him  a  look  that  touched 
him  to  the  bottom  of  the  heart. 

And  then  came  Mr.  Wadsworth,  his  voice  shak- 
ing with  emotion,  and  then  Dave's  father,  and 
Uncle  Dunston. 

"  One  lad  out  of  a  million  I  "  murmured  the 
manufacturer.  "  Mr.  Porter,  you  can  well  be 
proud  of  Dave  I  " 

"  And  I  am  proud  of  him,"  replied  the  parent, 
heartily. 

"  We  are  all  proud,"  added  Dunston  Porter. 

In  the  excitement  it  must  not  be  supposed  that 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION     297 

Phil  and  Roger  were  forgotten.  While  Dave  re- 
lated his  story  to  the  men,  and  delivered  the  jewels 
to  Mr.  Wadsworth,  his  chums  had  to  tell  about  all 
that  had  occurred,  to  Mrs.  Wadsworth  and  the 
girls.  And  the  questions  that  were  asked  and  an- 
swered would  fill  a  chapter  and  more. 

"And  what  will  they  do  to  Jasniff?"  asked 
Laura. 

"  Undoubtedly  put  him  in  prison  for  a  number 
of  years,"  answered  the  senator's  son.  "  And  he 
deserves  it." 

"  What  a  misspent  life  I  "  sighed  Mrs.  Wads- 
worth. 

"And  what  about  Link  Merwell?"  asked 
Jessie. 

"  I  don't  know  what  they'll  do  to  him.  Per- 
haps they  won't  catch  him,"  said  Phil. 

"  If  they  don't,  I  hope  he  turns  over  a  new  leaf 
and  makes  a  real  man  of  himself,"  said  Laura. 

Dave  had  gone  to  the  jewelry  works  with  the 
men,  and  soon  Phil  and  Roger  followed.  Here 
the  jewels  were  examined  with  care,  being  checked 
off  on  a  list, — the  duplicate  of  a  receipt  Oliver 
Wadsworth  had  given  to  the  owner  of  the 
gems. 

"  Four  stones  are  missing,"  announced  the  manu- 
facturer. "  And  they  are  worth  less  than  a  thou- 
sand dollars.     Dave,  you  certainly  did  well." 

"  We  can  get  back  at  least  two  of  those  stones," 


298      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

answered  Dave.    "  The  pawnbrokers  will  have  to 
give  them  up." 

"  Then  the  loss  will  be  less  than  five  hundred 
dollars — a  mere  trifle  alongside  of  what  it  might 
have  been.  Dave,  I'll  not  offer  you  a  reward,  for 
I  know  you  won't  take  it.  But  I  thank  you,  my 
boy,  I  thank  you  most  heartily  1  "  And  Mr.  Wads- 
worth  caught  Dave  by  both  hands,  while  tears  of 
emotion  stood  in  his  eyes. 

.  "  It  saved  us  all  from  a  tight  place,  if  not  ruin," 
added  Dunston  Porter. 

"  How  is  that  old  watchman?  "  asked  our  hero, 
to  change  the  subject. 

"  You  mean  the  man  who  was  hurt?  "  asked  his 
father.    "  He  is  about  as  well  as  ever." 

"  And  have  you  heard  from  Hooker  Mont- 
gomery?" 

"  Not  a  word,  and  we  sha'n't  need  to,  now." 

"  Any  word  fi;om  Oak  Hall?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  Yes,  the  place  opened  again  last  week." 

"  Then  I  suppose  we'll  have  to  get  back  once 
more,"  said  Phil.  "  Well,  we've  had  a  long  enough 
vacation, — if  you  can  call  it  such,"  he  added,  with 
a  grin. 

"  And  such  adventures  1  "  murmured  Roger. 
"  We'll  never  see  such  strenuous  times  again,  eh, 
Dave?" 

"  There  is  no  telling,  we  may,"  answered  Dave. 
There  were  still  many  adventures  ahead,  and  what 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION     299 

they  were  will  be  related  in  the  next  volume  of 
this  series,  to  be  entitled,  "  Dave  Porter  and  the 
Runaways;  or.  Last  Days  at  Oak  Hall,"  in  which 
we  shall  meet  our  hero  and  his  chums  and  enemies 
once  more. 

"  If  we  are  to  go  back  to  Oak  Hall  so  soon,  let 
us  have  all  the  fun  we  can,"  said  Dave,  after  the 
matter  of  the  jewels  had  been  settled;  and  the  next 
day  he  and  his  chums  and  the  girls  went  out  for 
a  grand  sleighride,  for  it  was  still  winter  at  home, 
even  though  it  had  been  like  summer  on  Cave 
Island. 

"  Dave,  are  you  glad  to  be  back?  "  asked  Jessie, 
while  they  were  gliding  over  the  snow. 

"  Yes,  I  am,"  he  answered.  "  And  doubly  glad 
to  be  here,  at  your  side,"  he  added,  in  a  lower 
voice. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  I  was  so  afraid  while  you  were 
away !  " 

"Of  what?" 

"  That  those  bad  boys  would  harm  you !  Oh, 
please  be  careful  in  the  future,  for  my  sake." 

"All  right,  Jessie,  I'll  be  careful,"  he  answered, 
and  then,  under  the  big  robe,  he  gave  her  little 
hand  a  tight  squeeze,  and  I  don't  know  but  that 
Jessie  gave  him  a  squeeze  in  return.  To  her  Dave 
was  the  finest  boy  in  all  the  world. 

"  Let's  have  a  song !  "  cried  out  Phil,  from  the 
seat  in  front. 


300      DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

"  Right  you  are !  "  returned  Dave.  "  What 
shall  it  be?" 

"  Oh,  anything  1  "  came  from  the  girls  in  con- 
cert; and  then  they  started  to  sing  one  familiar 
song  after  another;  and  while  they  are  singing  let 
us  say  good-by  and  take  our  leave. 


THE  END 


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